Authorities have confirmed that 22-year-old Eliotte Heinz died from accidental drowning. However, the timeline from her smartwatch and security cameras has left many people confused about what happened during her final hours on July 20. The technology tracked her every move until her last heartbeat, making this tragedy even more painful for those who loved her.
According to the Daily Mail, Heinz was studying mental health counseling at Viterbo College in Wisconsin. Security cameras showed her leaving Bronco’s Bar around 2:30 AM and walking toward the Mississippi River. The footage continued tracking her until 3:39 AM when she reached the riverbank.
What makes this case strange is that cameras caught her leaving the water shortly after 4:00 AM. She walked back toward the embankment, and her smartwatch recorded her final steps about 30 minutes later. Her last heartbeat was recorded at 7:30 AM, hours after sunrise.
The autopsy results paint a troubling picture
Police found no signs of physical injury on her body. However, her blood alcohol level was 0.193, which is more than double Wisconsin’s legal driving limit. This level of alcohol in someone’s system makes it nearly impossible to think clearly or make safe decisions. No drugs were found in her body.
Police say there was no criminal activity involved in her death. They found no evidence that anyone hurt her or that she wanted to harm herself. Understanding how investigations determine cognitive impairment is crucial in cases like these, especially when cognitive assessment tests are used in various contexts. Investigators checked her phone, which her friends found while searching for her, and her other devices at home.
Her family and friends reported her missing at 10:26 AM when she didn’t come home. The search lasted four days across the college town. A fisherman found her body floating face down in Brownsville, Minnesota, more than 10 miles from where she was last seen.
La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron announced her death on July 24. “This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search,” they said. “Our thoughts are with Eliotte’s family, friends and all those who knew Eliotte.”
Her family can take some consolation in the fact that her body was found quickly, unlike in some high-profile cases where people remain missing for months.
“There are no words that can ease the pain of losing someone so young, with so much life ahead of her,” said Viterbo University President Dr. Rick Trietley. The university offered prayers and support to the family during this difficult time.
Heinz’s family remembered her as smart, funny, and caring. In a heartbreaking statement, they wrote, “We don’t know why we were so blessed to have her as a daughter or why we are unable to keep her.” They said their family will forever have a missing piece and that while Eliotte’s walk home is finished, their difficult journey through grief is just beginning.
Published: Dec 11, 2025 02:36 pm