Declan Sullivan: The Latest on the Probe into Notre Dame Student's Death
Declan Sullivan, a Notre Dame student, died on Wednesday while filming the football team's practice.
High winds caused the lift Sullivan was on to collapse, and he died from the injuries he sustained.
Sullivan's death has shocked and stunned the college football world, and prompted strong reaction from the media, coaches and Notre Dame students.
We're bringing you the latest news, reaction and insight into this terrible tragedy.
What Happened?
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Sullivan was taping the Notre Dame football team's Wednesday practice from a crane lift that sat 50 feet above the field level, and stretched across a nearby street.
There were extremely high winds gusting across the Midwest that day. South Bend was no exception, with gusts exceeding 50 miles per hour.
The lift tipped, crashing into the street below, and players, coaches and medical staff quickly rushed to aid Sullivan. He was rushed to the hospital, but later died from his injuries.
Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick said in an interview Thursday that he felt a strong gust of wind just before the lift tipped.
"Things started flying by me that had been stationary for all of practice— Gatorade containers, towels," Swarbrick said, "I noticed the netting by the goal post start to bend dramatically, and I heard a crash."
The Program's Reaction
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Irish head coach Brian Kelly sent his prayers and condolences to the Sullivan family almost immediately after the accident.
He said Sullivan "had a tremendous personality and great sense of humor. He brightened the days for all that had the privilege to work with him, and the Notre Dame football family will dearly miss him."
Numerous football players have tweeted about the accident, saying how difficult the past few days have been, and that it has reminded them not to take life for granted.
The Administration's Reaction
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University president Fr. John Jenkins spoke to the media on Thursday about Sullivan's death, and said that the university and family were mourning the loss of life.
"There's no greater sadness for a university community than the death of one of it's students," Jenkins said, "There's certainly no greater sadness for the family than the loss of a son, or a brother."
The Student Body's Reaction
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Students were given the chance to grieve at a special mass held Thursday night at Notre Dame's basilica of the Sacred Heart, and many of Declan's close friends spoke about his life.
"He loved Notre Dame football and he loved film, and he combined those two," Tony Michluda, a student who lived in the same residence hall as Sullivan said during the mass.
"He lived his life to the fullest every moment," said Nate Garrison, a former student who also shared a hall with Sullivan.
Declan was remembered as a student who loved filming life, and Fr. Tom Doyle said that Sullivan loved to capture life through a camera lens.
"Telling stories through the lens of a camera was how Declan lived," Doyle said, "It's not how he died."
OSHA Investigating Accident
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According to numerous reports, this accident has prompted an investigation from Indiana's Occupational Safety and Health Administration into the incident, the weather conditions, and the Irish athletic programs' safety procedures, to make sure everything is up to snuff.
Nothing has come of the inquiry yet, but OSHA officials were on campus Thursday.
Other Colleges React
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This accident has spurred numerous schools to review their own policies regarding crane lifts, according to a report on ESPN.com.
Video coordinator Andy Commer of Ole Miss told ESPN that he watches the weather despite having permanent, in-ground towers to video tape from.
"There isn't a football drill or practice in the world that's important enough to get somebody hurt or, God forbid, killed," Commer said. "We agreed that we're never going to make that call to a parent. The question I always ask myself is: 'Would I put my kid up there?"
A spokesman for Texas Tech told the Web site that they don't use the scissor lifts when wind speeds are above 40 miles per hour, and they're forbidden to go higher than 20 feet in the air when the wind is stronger than 20.
Mike Golic Reacts
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Mike Golic, a prominent sports commentator, former NFL player and Notre Dame alum, sounded off about the tragedy on his morning show.
"It's horrific, senseless and tragic," Golic said. He went on to talk about how his two boys, both of whom currently attend Notre Dame, are having a hard time dealing with Sullivan's death.
Golic also touched on the investigation, but stated that "The time for that will come later. Right now, our concern should be with the family."
ESPN's Mike Fish Reacts
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ESPN investigative reporter Mike Fish published an article Friday regarding the safety standards for most major universities' football programs.
Fish states that most programs don't have an official set of guidelines in place regarding when it's appropriate to use the scissor lifts like the one Sulivan was killed on.
He goes on to state that many video directors around the football world are calling for tough, universal guidelines to be put in place in college football.
Dennis Dodd Wants Sky-High Filming to Stop
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CBSSports' Dennis Dodd, a college sports analyst claimed in a piece Thursday that Sullivan's death should be a sign to all of football that it is time to disallow filming of football practice from the towers.
Dodd says it's not necessary to risk people's lives just to film practice from 50 to 100 feet in the air. He claims the biggest reason behind the continued practice of it is tradition.
"Someone, at some point, had to question it over the years," Dodd said, "and I'm guessing those someones were shot down by football tradition. The same tradition that tells us that the NFL can't possibly go on unless defenders can play as wild and reckless as they want."
Dodd says that by allowing people to go up in the lifts, the NCAA is tacitly approving putting people's lives at risk. He says the simplest solution would be to ban them completely.
Jason Whitlock Wants Brian Kelly's Job
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In one of the more surprising reactions to this tragedy, FoxSports' Jason Whitlock claims Kelly should lose his job because of Sullivan's death.
Whitlock claims that Kelly's negligence in risking Declan's life was enough to merit his removal as head coach of Notre Dame football.
"Kelly’s negligence is inexcusable," Whitlock said, "He ignored the risks. Notre Dame should treat Kelly like a drunk driver whose negligent behavior killed a passenger or another driver. An apology and a financial settlement are not enough."
He goes on to say that Kelly's mistake was worse than a recruiting violation or academic fraud, because it cost a young man his life.
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