The body of a UW-La Crosse student missing since Saturday night was pulled from the Mississippi River Monday morning.
Luke Homan, a basketball player and Brookfield native, was last seen celebrating Oktoberfest at The Vibe, a popular downtown bar, with several of his friends.
When Homan failed to show up to a scheduled golf outing the following morning, approximately 100 volunteers, including UW-Madison students and football players Joe Thomas, Ben Strickland and Steve Johnson, rallied to comb the city and river.
Hours after his disappearance, several Facebook groups, one started by Thomas, were created, and urged anyone who had contact with Homan to notify authorities.
Students initially used the group forums to offer prayers and wishes for Homan's well-being, but when word broke that his body had been found, they immediately swelled with memoriam and testimonies.
""I'll always remember Luke for his strong faith, positive attitude, and his ability to make everyone laugh and smile,"" wrote UW-La Crosse student Jodi Buelow.
However, some of the postings affected an angrier tone.
""I'm from La Crosse, and this is getting ridiculous,"" wrote UW-Madison student Becky Peterson. ""I remember hearing about college guys ‘wandering into the river' every year and wondering how this couldn't be more than just a coincidence.""
Peterson's sentiments echo those that swelled shortly after the death of UW-La Crosse student Jared Dion in 2004. Such drownings have occurred frequently on campus—Homan's is the eighth since 1997 and the twenty-third since 1974. Authorities have consistently maintained the large number of deaths can be blamed on binge drinking and not foul play.
—Andy Berens