Ohio State To End Annual Tradition Of Jumping Into Mirror Lake After Student Dies

Ohio State University announced last week that the annual jump into Mirror Lake prior to the Michigan game will be suspended indefinitely after a student passed away during this year’s event.

Austin Singletary, a third-year student, was pulled from the lake last Tuesday during the jump after going into cardiac arrest. He died the next day at the hospital. The annual leap is not a university sponsored event, according to Wikipedia, and the university often urged students not to participate. The university did take measures to make the event safer in recent years, as the jump has led to several injuries including one former student being paralyzed after falling into the lake.

According to Ohio State legend, the “Lucky Mirror Lake Jump” jump continued because graduates who have jumped into Mirror Lake have become “very wealthy and have had wonderful lives.” The tradition dates back to the late 1960s but really gained popularity after former Ohio State athletic director led a parade of students on a march around campus that ended with a plunge in the famed lake.

Approximately 12,000 people either jumped or were near the lake for the 2009 jump. The number of students participating this year is unknown.

Ohio State ended up winning the game against Michigan, 42-13.

[via WKYC]