CHICAGO (STMW) – A Moody Bible Institute freshman from Michigan drowned late last month in an accident in a swimming pool on the college’s River North campus, authorities and school officials said.
Micah T. Stinchfield, 18, died in the swimming pool-related accident at the Solheim Center, the institute’s athletic facility, according to a statement on the school’s website.
Officers responded about 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 26 to the facility at 930 N. Wells St., and found the 18-year-old had become unresponsive while he was practicing “breathing training,” police News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro said.
Stinchfield, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he died about 40 minutes later, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. An autopsy later determined he drowned, and ruled his death an accident.
A freshman, Stinchfield was working toward a degree in music and was a member of the college’s Symphonic Band, the school’s website said.
“This loss of the life of a gifted student whose desire was to serve the Lord comes as a shock to all of us,” said Moody President, Dr. Paul Nyquist, in a statement. “Our hearts deeply grieve with the Stinchfield family and those who knew and loved Micah. We call upon our God to bring comfort to this family and to our community as we grapple with such a devastating loss.”
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
