Published Thursday, November 8, 2001
UM freshman's drowning wasn't hazing, police say
BY SARA OLKON
solkon@herald.com
An 18-year-old University of Miami freshman and fraternity pledge who drowned Monday morning had been drinking but did not die as a result of hazing, Miami-Dade County police say.
Chad Meredith, 18, from Indianapolis, went swimming in the campus' Lake Osceola at about 5:30 a.m. Monday with UM Kappa Sigma president Travis Montgomery and fraternity brother Timothy Williamson.
Meredith went under water and never resurfaced; his body was later found by police divers.
``They said they were drinking,'' Miami-Dade Homicide Det. Charles ``Buck'' McCully said, referring to statements from survivors and other witnesses. ``There was no hazing or initiation going on.''
The lead investigator's statement jibes with reports from university officials and the fraternity president, who said the swim was not a fraternity-sanctioned event.
``We do not haze,'' said Montgomery, 20. ``This has nothing to do with our fraternity.''
Before the swim, McCully said, the men had been at an off-campus party where some people were playing a drinking game called ``hockey.''
Meredith did not take part, McCully said. ``He wasn't doing heavy drinking,'' the detective said. He said three Budweisers were found near the spot where they left their clothing.
His father, William, recalled a man of quiet confidence. He, too, said his youngest son was not the victim of a hazing ritual. ``He wasn't influenced easily,'' William Meredith said.
His father described his son's last night: After attending part of the on-campus, outdoor concert by rapper Ludacris, he returned to his dorm to catch some of the final game of the World Series. His loyalties were torn: The former high school pitcher was rooting for the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens.
In his last call home at about 10 p.m. Sunday, Chad talked to his father about his grades -- he said he was getting all A's -- and said he had just finished a paper about his dad's military service in Vietnam.
He told his father he didn't have classes Monday because of the tropical storm warning and was planning to go out for some food later that night. William Meredith said his son's credit card showed he bought something at a Wendy's.
Montgomery would not comment further on what happened. He said the fraternity would issue a statement in the coming days.
McCully said the department was awaiting toxicology reports before officially classifying the death as accidental.
Still, ``nothing has popped up to make us suspicious of anything,'' he said.
The drowning is the second at the lake since 1980, when another UM student died. Swimming in the lake has since been prohibited.
On Wednesday, UM president Donna Shalala and vice president of student affairs Pat Whitely met with about 30 fraternity leaders to discuss ``making positive choices.'' The meeting had been scheduled before Monday's tragedy.
Family members said a funeral was planned for Saturday.
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