A man attending a delayed graduation ceremony at his Ivy League alma mater has died after falling down a campus embankment in what authorities are calling a bizarre accident.
David Gallagher, age 24, had been working as an analyst for an asset management business in Los Angeles prior to his return to the East Coast for his beginning at Dartmouth.
Due to the pandemic, the ceremony was already postponed, and Gallagher graduated in 2020, during the initial days of COVID.
Gallagher was found severely wounded beneath the Ledyard Bridge on West Wheelock Street on the New Hampshire campus approximately 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, the weekend of the celebration. The bridge is the location of an infamous challenge in which Dartmouth students swim across the Connecticut River and then run over it.
The Ledyard Bridge Task is, to the Dartmouth Folklore Archive, “the most terrifying challenge on campus.”
EMTs had to use a boat to bring Gallagher out of the embankment under the Ledyard Bridge, which local police Captain James Martin described as “very rocky, steep terrain.”
Martin added: ‘It’s often inaccessible to walk in on foot from the roadway from Hanover.’
Gallagher was taken to a nearby hospital, but he was shortly declared dead at age 24.
Lieutenant Michael Schibuola said that this was likely a ‘horrible accident’ caused by drunkenness and that no criminal charges are expected.
According to Valley News, Gallagher’s buddy Jack Richardson, who was there when he fell, described the incident as a “freak accident” but refused to offer any information.
As part of the college’s legend, there is a task linked with the bridge that entails descending to the riverbanks where Gallagher fell and swimming over without being caught.
According to LinkedIn, Gallagher graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in government.
He was a top lacrosse player for the Ivy League institution and a member of a fraternity.
According to his old lacrosse coach Brendan Callahan, he’s been employed at Bellweather Asset Management since 2020, where he’s recently received a promotion.
Additionally, he has worked at Bane Realty Capital, HFF, and JLL.
Gallagher is noted as having attended Downington High School in Pennsylvania and the renowned Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He claims three appearances on Dartmouth’s athletic director’s honour roll among his achievements.
The lacrosse team tweeted a tribute to Gallagher Monday: ‘He was tough, worked hard on the field and in the classroom, had high character and a positive attitude. Dave lived his life with a giant smile that lit up the room. His memory is in our hearts forever.’
Michael, the father of David, uploaded a long video tribute to their son’s graduation on YouTube.
Congratulations, David!’ he wrote. Keep doing great things and striving for excellence. You will do great in California!!’ and signed it from himself and David’s mother.
