Carnegie Mellon Univ. president’s son dies after being pulled from Monongahela River in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — A man who died after he was pulled from the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon was the son of Carnegie Mellon University’s president, a university spokesperson confirmed Sunday.

Thomas Jahanian, 28, was seen going under the water shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday in the area of the 10th Street Bridge in the city’s South Side, police said. The Fish and Boat Commission reported seeing Jahanian.

Pittsburgh River Rescue responded and were able to get Jahanian out of the water within minutes of the initial call, police said.

Jahanian was taken to a hospital in critical condition where he later died.

A CMU spokesperson released the following statement:

“I can confirm that yesterday afternoon, Carnegie Mellon University President and Mrs. Jahanian’s son, Thomas Jahanian, tragically passed away in a drowning accident. The Jahanian family expresses immense gratitude toward the bystander who saw him in need of assistance while swimming and immediately called 9-1-1, in addition to the rescue teams on the scene and the medical professionals at the hospital. The family asks for privacy as they mourn the unexpected and tragic loss of their son.”

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