A Fordham student fell from the university’s iconic Keating Hal bell tower. Ken Buffa reports.
UPDATE: Heartache, Horror Overwhelm NYC Campus as Senior Dies in Fall From Iconic Tower Weeks Before Graduation
A Fordham University student has died from her injuries after she fell from the school's iconic clock tower, school officials said.
Sydney Monfries, a senior, went to the Keating Hall clock and bell tower with friends at about 3 a.m. to get a better view of the city and campus when she fell, the NYPD and the school said.
Police say it appears a group of students were climbing the stairs when she fell through a hole in one of the stairway landings.
When emergency responders arrived at the scene, they found Monfries, 22, lying on the ground inside the tower with trauma to her head and body.
"There are no words sufficient to describe the loss of someone so young and full of promise—and mere weeks from graduation," University President Joseph M. McShane said.
The school planned to give her a bachelor’s degree posthumously, he said.
Police initially said she fell 140 feet, but later corrected that to 30-40 feet.
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The Gothic clock tower is off-limits to students, according to a 2013 article in The Fordham Ram. But the ban makes it all the more appealing for students to sneak up and witness breathtaking views.
Fordham officials said they were investigating how the student gained access to the tower, which is normally locked.
