Colorado Man Dies After Falling From Roof Day Before Notre Dame Graduation
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4)- A man from Centennial died early Saturday morning after falling from a roof the day before he was scheduled to graduate from Notre Dame.
William Meckling fell from the roof of the Joyce Center on the Notre Dame campus about 3:45 a.m. Saturday.
A Notre Dame security police lieutenant was on patrol near the center when he was approached by two students who said they needed his assistance. When he reached the east side of the Joyce Center, the officer found Meckling, 21, unresponsive on the ground near Gate 7.
Emergency medical personnel also responded to the center where they performed CPR on Meckling but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
Notre Dame police said Meckling was with a small group of students who had gained access to the roof. The roof was wet from rain when Meckling fell. No one else was hurt.
Meckling was rushed to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center. Police said the coroner will determine the cause of death.
Meckling was a mechanical engineering major who was scheduled to graduate on Sunday. He was also a member of the Notre Dame fencing team. Meckling graduated from Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora.
"When one thinks of the success of Notre Dame fencing, names like Gerek Meinhardt and Lee Kiefer come to mind," head fencing coach Gia Kyaratskhelia said in a statement. "Yet equally integral to our team success are the unsung names, the walk-ons that bring the positive spirit, energy and camaraderie to our practices and competitions to push their teammates and themselves to greater heights. Billy Meckling was one of those teammates an invaluable member of our sabre squad who left such a massive impact on all of us as a fencer and a human being.
"On the strip, Billy was a talented fencer and a determined worker on a very competitive sabre squad evidenced by his earned monograms during the 2012 and 2014 seasons. More importantly, he was a great friend to all members of our program. A true Notre Dame man, his kindness and warmth impacted each and every one of us and make his loss all the more difficult."
Additional Information from Notre Dame:
The double-domed Joyce Center is home to the Fighting Irish basketball and volleyball teams in the newly renovated Purcell Pavilion and the Notre Dame hockey team in the field house. Gyms for fencing, boxing, and other sports are scattered throughout the facility. The center also plays host to campus-wide events such as Commencement, the Opening Day Mass, and Junior Parents Weekend activities. The building houses coaches and administrators' offices, locker rooms, and, on the concourse, the Sports Heritage Hall of Fame.
