TRAGIC

Dartmouth Alum Found Dead by a River During Grad Party

David Gallagher, a 2020 alum, had returned to Hanover celebrate his COVID-postponed graduation.

A delayed graduation party turned lethal Monday when 24-year-old David J. Gallagher, a 2020 alum of Dartmouth College, sustained severe injuries during a river hangout gone awry. Friends of Gallagher called 911 at around 1:48 a.m. and first responders found him lying on an embankment of the Connecticut River, about 100 yards south of the Ledyard Bridge in Hanover, New Hampshire. Hanover Police say alcohol may have played a role in the untimely death, but added that they don’t anticipate any criminal charges. The bridge, which connects Vermont and New Hampshire and crosses state lines, has a campus tradition attached to it that plays on a loophole between the nudity laws in both states. The “Ledyard Challenge” involves streaking, swimming across the river, and running back across the bridge, according to campus newspaper The Dartmouth.