A 10-year-old boy and his teacher drowned on a school trip. Here’s what officials say happened

JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG/Gray News) - Officials in Iowa have revealed what happened just before a 10-year-old boy and his teacher drowned on a school field trip.

Hannah Jorgensen, a 24-year-old teacher at Borlaug Elementary, led a group of 14 students on a School of the Wild trip Sept. 22 at Lake Macbride State Park, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

The woodland hike ended near the shore of the Coralville Reservoir, where the fifth grade students – including 10-year-old Ahmed Osman – stopped to eat lunch around noon.

During the lunch break, investigators say Ahmed stepped into the water flowing down the spillway. He slipped on the rocks and fell into the water.

Jorgensen jumped in the water to rescue Ahmed. She left her phone on the shore but told her students to call 911.

One student was able to make the call, and the others alerted a bystander. The bystander jumped into the water to rescue Ahmed and his teacher but was unable to do so.

First responders later recovered both Ahmed and Jorgensen’s bodies from the lake. The 10-year-old’s family has called Jorgensen a hero for trying to save him.

The bystander, who safely made it out of the water, stayed on the scene with the students and spoke with the investigators. The students were also interviewed as part of the investigation.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.