Family, Wheaton College lean on faith after student's death

Family, Wheaton College lean on faith after student’s death

By Lauren Rohr | Daily Herald

Ethan Roser, 19, died Saturday after he was accidentally struck during a hammer throw event at a track and field meet at Wheaton College. | Courtesy of the Roser family

A day after the tragic death of Wheaton College student Ethan Roser, friends and loved ones say they are depending on their faith in God for comfort and support.

Roser, 19, was a freshman transfer student from Cincinnati, Ohio, studying theology. He died Saturday after he was accidentally struck during a hammer throw event while volunteering at a school track and field competition, the Daily Herald reports.

Word of the accident spread quickly across campus, where students have been gathering to worship, pray and grieve. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff filed into Pierce Memorial Chapel on Sunday night for a special service of prayer and lament, which was closed to the media. College officials say a similar service was held the night before.

RELATED: Student fatally struck by hammer at Wheaton College track meet

Dr. Jerry Root, a professor of evangelism who taught two of Roser’s classes, said the services have allowed the campus community to mourn the loss of an attentive student and a genuine friend.

“He loved Jesus with intensity,” Root said. “Not only that, but every week, he was out sharing his faith with other people. He wanted them to know they were loved and forgiven.”