The body of a missing Dartmouth College student was recovered Sunday evening from the Connecticut River in Hanover, N.H., authorities said.
While the cause of 20-year-old Won Jang’s death remains under investigation, foul play is not suspected, according to a statement from Hanover Police Chief Charles B. Dennis.
Witnesses said they last saw Jang near the docks around 8 Boathouse Road on Saturday night, then police and firefighters responded to a report of a missing student in that area on Sunday afternoon, according to the statement.
Jang’s body was found about 65 feet offshore at about 7:30 p.m.
In an interview, Dennis said college officials forwarded at least one anonymous email to his department that suggested alcohol or hazing may have been involved.
“In any investigation, we’d be looking at that anyway,” Dennis told The Boston Globe, “but certainly it will be part of our investigation as we do a thorough investigation into this untimely death.”
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Dennis declined to discuss details about the anonymous email, and college officials did not immediately respond Monday to questions from the Globe about the anonymous report.
Jang had attended what Dartmouth College officials described as a “social gathering” on Saturday night near the river, according to an email dean Scott C. Brown sent to the campus community.
Brown wrote that Jang was an undergraduate student from Middletown, Del., who embraced academic and personal opportunities “wholeheartedly.” Jang was a biomedical engineering major, a project manager at the DALI Lab, a research assistant, a Beta Alpha Omega fraternity member, and more.
“We understand that this is very difficult news for our community and encourage you to seek support, whether you need a listening ear or guidance in navigating this challenging time,” Brown wrote. “We have been in touch with Won’s fraternity brothers and other friends.”
The college distributed information about mental health and crisis response responses to the campus community.
Crews who responded to the scene included a dive team from the Hanover Fire Department, the State Police Marine Patrol, and personnel from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, who assumed command of the search operations, according to the statement from police.
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Anyone with information about the ongoing police investigation is asked to call Hanover police at 603-643-2222.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.