19-Year-Old With Autism Drowns in River During School Field Trip

ROMEOVILLE, IL— David Nelson, 19, was found unresponsive in a river during a school field trip on Wednesday and was later pronounced dead.

Forest Preserve District of Will County police responded to a call about a missing 19-year-old at Isle a la Cache Museum/Preserve in Romeoville on Wednesday. According to a spokesperson for the Forest Preserve District police, Isle a la Cache Museum workers and staff from the visiting School of Expressive Arts and Learning (SEAL) helped police search for about an hour before finding the young man unresponsive in the river.

SEAL is a therapeutic school for students with behavioral or other special needs. Nelson had autism. An autopsy conducted by the Will County Coroner's Office listed the preliminary cause of death as drowning, but the final cause of death is pending blood work and police investigation.

Will County Public Information Officer Cindy Cain said Forest Preserve officers performed CPR on Nelson until paramedics arrived and took him to AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 2:53 p.m.

Representatives from SEAL have not yet responded to a request for comment.

Authorities initially said the teen was 18, but on Friday, the Will County Coroner's Office said he was 19.