NYU student drowns in Florida

UPDATE: March 13th at 5:25 p.m.

NYU junior Michael Finney drowned while swimming off the coast of Jupiter Beach in Florida on Friday.

Finney was playing catch with some friends when currents pulled him and three others, including NYU junior Shreshth Dugar, 80 yards off the beach around 6 p.m., The Palm Beach Post reported.

Two of the students were able to swim back to shore. Finney and Dugar were rescued by unknown bystanders, but Finney was unresponsive when he was pulled onto the beach. Finney was rushed to Jupiter Medical center and was pronounced dead at 7:09 p.m.

According to university spokesman John Beckman, the university was contacted today by Finney's family about his death.

"It is simply heart-breaking when a young person — a person filled with  talent and promise — dies so suddenly.  Death always comes with an especially sharp sting in a community of young men and women, because it is so unexpected and uncommon," Beckman said. "The NYU community grieves the loss of this young man; his family and loved ones are in our heart and prayers at this sorrowful time.  Our other student, now in the hospital, is also very much in our thoughts, and we fervently hope for a full and speedy recovery," he added.