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NMU releases details about Alioto drowning

MARQUETTE, MI--   NMU officials are releasing more details from their investigation into the drowning death of a freshman soccer player in the university pool.  

Arianna Alioto, 18, was found November 30 following a team workout in the PEIF pool. 

Public Safety Director Mike Bath says the investigation will continue and the autopsy report won’t be available until January, but the initial round of interviews with the team, lifeguard, head coach, and first responders has been completed.

Bath says there was a lifeguard present at the practice session and no one in the pool saw or heard anyone in distress during or at the end of practice.  Interviews support a statement by the lifeguard that she had locked the pool entrances before turning in the pool key at the recreation sports front desk around 5 p.m.  Emergency personnel said they had to unlock the door when they responded.

Bath says a student in the PEIF’s second-story workout area that overlooks the pool observed a possible drowning situation around 5:35 p.m.  Preliminary on-site observation by Public Safety showed no obvious signs of physical trauma or indication of foul play.  Bath says the recreation sports staff responded quickly and performed CPR until EMS arrived. 

Alioto was taken to Marquette General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. 

“We want to thank all of the people who we interviewed, and in some cases interviewed again to verify particular details,” Bath says.  “We know talking to us while trying to get over the shock of Ms. Alioto’s death was not easy.  Our sincere sympathies go out to the Alioto family, Arianna’s teammates and friends, the lifeguard and recreation sports staff members, and any others who have been impacted by this tragedy.”

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.
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