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STORY UPDATE: L-R student dies
Authorities investigating teen’s death
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LRU Statement
Lenoir-Rhyne University has been informed of the death of one of our students, Harrison Kowiak, a sophomore from Tampa, Fla. We understand that his death was the result of an accident that occurred off-campus. Lenoir-Rhyne will cooperate fully with all authorities regarding this incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Kowiak family.
Published: November 19, 2008
Updated: 11/20/2008 12:36 pm
HICKORY - Catawba County authorities said they are investigating Harrison Kowiak's death because of inconsistent statements by witnesses about his death.
Kowiak, a 19-year-old sophomore at Lenoir-Rhyne University from Tampa, Fla., died in an off-campus accident Tuesday.
Sheriff's officials said university security contacted them Wednesday morning about Kowiak's death.
L-R officials notified the Catawba County Sheriff's Office that Kowiak had been taken to Frye Regional Medical Center with a traumatic head injury, said Chief Deputy Coy Reid. Kowiak was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where he died from his injuries.
The sheriff's office is investigating Kowiak's death because of contradicting witness statements about what happened leading up to Kowiak's injuries, Reid said. Seventeen people were participating in initiation, he said.
"We're looking at it from every angle we possibly can. We're interviewing students and trying to understand what happened," said Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman. "No 911 call came in. We know that."
The investigation is in its early stages and Huffman said investigators are sifting through conflicting reports concerning the events leading up to Kowiak's death.
"At this point, we're just treating it as an accidental death off-campus," he said.
Kowiak may have been injured during a capture the flag game Monday evening, not flag football, according to statements from the students involved, Reid said.
Members of the Theta Chi fraternity knew Kowiak, said Jonathan Taylor, 22, of Clyde, a friend of Kowiak's. Taylor said he knew Kowiak through mutual friends on the golf team and that Kowiak spent time with friends in the Theta Xi house.
Kowiak's pastor in Tampa said the teenager's death was a "freak accident."
The university recruited Kowiak to play golf, said Mike A. Langford, director of marketing and communications for L-R. He was on scholarship and played on the school's team for two years while majoring in management.
About 250 to 300 people attended a candlelight vigil for Kowiak outside the L-R student center Tuesday, Taylor said.
"The whole Greek organization came out to support him and to pray for his recovery," he added."We received an e-mail from the administration this morning (Wednesday) telling us he'd passed away," Taylor said. "Students have been directed to counselors and clergy for grief counseling."
A memorial was held on L-R's campus for Kowiak's friends and family Thursday morning.
Langford said school officials are cooperating with the law enforcement investigating the case, but the details surrounding Kowiak's death are unclear.
"We don't know very much at this point," he said.
The mood on campus was somber Wednesday.
"He was a good guy and it's unfair that such a young person passed away. It makes you realize all is not certain," Taylor said.
Lucas Carnohan, Kowiak's roommate last year, said, "Harrison taught me how to live my life to the fullest. He taught me to enjoy the present. Before that, I lived for the future.
"He could make jokes, but it was more his presence in general. He could relate to people, and talk to anyone about anything, and people appreciated that. He wasn't interested just in himself," Carnohan said.
Mackenzie Parker lived in the same dorm with Kowiak while at Lenoir-Rhyne last year and remembers his "beautiful smile."
"He was such a good person," the 19-year-old from Asheville said Wednesday. "He was always smiling or laughing and always concerned about others. We need more people like him in the world. Our whole campus is down today. He had such an impact on everyone."
Kowiak's parents, Brian and Lianne, were on campus Wednesday collecting their son's belongings, Parker said, making the day harder for her and her classmates.
"It's hard to see how upset his mom is," she said. "It's a sad day. We lost a big part of our campus."
Tampa's News Channel 8 contributed to this article.
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