Gerald Belz was found unresponsive outside of a University of Iowa building early on Wednesday morning Iowa Student Dies After Being Found Outside as Extreme Temps Believed Responsible for 8 Deaths Gerald Belz, an 18-year-old University of Iowa student, was found unresponsive by campus police outside of a campus building just before 3 a.m. local time on Wednesday morning, as an extreme arctic freeze grips the Midwest. Belz, who was in his second semester at the university and hailed originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was transported to a hospital, where he later died, a spokesperson for the University of Iowa told PEOPLE. Get push notifications with news, features and more. The spokesperson added that no foul play is suspected. In an interview with local CBS affiliate KGAN, Belz’s family said doctors had confirmed that he did not have any alcohol in his system at the time. Though the investigation into Belz’s death is ongoing, officials believe the cause of death is weather-related. The wind chill at the time university police found Belz outside was -51 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service. The Midwest, from the Dakotas to Western New York, is experiencing some of the coldest temperatures to hit the region in more than two decades, according to The Weather Channel. On Wednesday morning, it was -23 degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago, and the National Weather Service recorded -30 in Wisconsin. The negative temperatures extend as far south as Kentucky, and according to The Weather Channel, things won’t get milder until the weekend. RELATED VIDEO: Extreme Cold in Midwest Leads to Postal Service Cancellation, Residents Advised Not to Talk Outside This type of bone-chilling cold can be life-threatening. As many as eight deaths have already been reported in the U.S. as of Thursday morning, according to the New York Times. On Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa, warned residents about the cold air, adding that anyone outside should “minimize talking.” “Make sure your mouth is covered to protect your lungs from severely cold air,” the NWS said, according to USA Today. “Avoid taking deep breaths; minimize talking.” “This is the coldest air many of us will have ever experienced. It’s not a case of ‘Meh, it’s Iowa during winter and this cold happens.’ These are record-breaking cold air temperatures, with wind chill values not seen in the 21st century in Iowa.” Belz’ father, Michael Belz, described his son as a “quiet, tough guy,” according to local station KCRG. He also told KCCI-TV of Des Moines that his son wanted to be a cardiologist. The University of Iowa tweeted out a tribute to Belz, writing, “saddened by the loss of a member of the Hawkeye family.” “Losing a fellow student and member of our university family is difficult,” the university spokesperson told PEOPLE. “We encourage our students to reach out if they are in need of support.”<doc-sep>A University of Iowa student was found apparently frozen to death on campus as wind chills hit minus-51 degrees Fahrenheit – one of at least eight people to die as a result of the record-setting cold that had settled on the Midwest this week. Authorities said the body of Gerald Belz, 18, was found by campus police just before 3 a.m. Wednesday behind an academic building. The pre-med student was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officials believe his death was related to dangerously low temperatures, though they are yet to give a specific cause of death. Doctors did not find alcohol in his system. No foul play was suspected, police said. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Iowa City dropped to minus-21 degrees late Tuesday and early Wednesday – with a wind-chill as low as minus-51 degrees. Michael Belz, Gerald’s father, told KCRG his son was a “quiet, tough guy.” He was a semester ahead at the University of Iowa due to extra college courses. “He was a good kid,” Belz said. In a tweet, Belz’s old high school principal paid tribute, as well as offering counseling services to any distressed students. On Tuesday, a 55-year-old man was found dead outside a garage in Milwaukee, having collapsed after shoveling snow; an 82-year-old in Pekin, Ill., died from hypothermia outside his home on the same day. A 75-year-old man was killed when he was struck by a snow plough near Chicago on Monday, and in northern Indiana, a young couple died after a their car was hit while driving on icy roads. Two others have died in Michigan. It is not the first time the severe cold has claimed a life on the University of Iowa campus. Last January, Paul J. Biagas, 24, was found dead in the snow outside the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center. At the time, the temperature in Iowa City was around 5 degrees, with a wind chill of minus-10 degrees. Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Contact us at letters@time.com.<doc-sep>CHICAGO — Just before the dangerously cold temperatures set in across the Midwest this week, Michael Belz was occupied with thoughts of his son Gerald, an 18-year-old in his first year at the University of Iowa. Classes at the university had been canceled. Campus was only a half-hour away from the Belz home in Cedar Rapids. But Gerald had opted to stay put and wait out the cold snap in his dorm. “At the time, I thought that was the smart move,” Michael Belz said, remembering that his son had trouble getting his truck started the weekend before. “I didn’t want him to get stuck somewhere driving. So he decided he would stay.” Early Wednesday morning, as the temperatures were plummeting, Gerald Belz was found unconscious outside a campus building, a short walk from his dorm. He died later at a hospital. Investigators believe his death was related to the subzero temperatures that plunged Iowa and all of the Midwest into a miserable and dangerous cold snap this week.<doc-sep>A 19-year-old student at the University of Vermont was found dead in the snow Saturday on one of the coldest Groundhog Days in decades, becoming the second college student to die in a week in frigid temperatures. The Burlington Police Department said in a news release that authorities responded to a business in Burlington around 10:48 a.m. to a report of "an unresponsive male lying in the snow in the back parking lot of a business." First responders attempted to resuscitate the 19-year-old "without success," and pronounced him dead at the scene. POLAR VORTEX VICTIMS INCLUDE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT, EX-CITY COUNCILMAN, POLICE OFFICER AND WIFE "Our initial investigation suggests no indications of foul play," Burlington Police said on Twitter. The student, who was identified on Sunday as 19-year-old Connor Gage of Little Falls, New York, was apparently cutting through the parking lot during the early morning hours on Saturday when he was stopped by a fence. “Exposure to cold seems to have been a cause or significant contributing factor,” police said. The temperature was between minus 1 degree and negative 4 degrees at the time, police said. The National Weather Service's Burlington Office said the temperature dipped to minus 5 degrees on Saturday, which was the coldest temperature on Groundhog Day since 1993, when it hit negative 8 degrees. Burlington Police said that the bitter cold, along with "clothing that was inadequate to the weather," is believed to have contributed to the man's death. "Our investigation continues with regard to the male's condition and whereabouts in the hours prior to his death," police said. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT DIES DURING POLAR VORTEX Deputy Chief Murad told the Burlington Free Press that investigators cannot confirm or deny the influence of alcohol or drugs at this time and that an autopsy was ordered. Gage, who was set to graduate in 2022, was majoring in Neuroscience, according to an email sent to the campus community by UVM Vice Provost for Student Affairs Annie Stevens. The University of Vermont is offering counseling services to those affected. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP The death in Vermont comes less than a week after a pre-med student at the University of Iowa was found frozen behind an academic building on the Iowa City campus during the onslaught of the polar vortex. Gerald Belz, 18, was found just before 3 a.m. on Wednesday. The pre-med student was rushed to a hospital, where he later died. Police haven’t released a cause of death, but believed the frigid temperatures played a role, FOX28 Cedar Rapids reported. The wind chill at the time police found Belz was minus 51 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Belz's father, Michael, told CBS2/FOX 28 that authorities told them that "zero alcohol was found in his system." Fox News' Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
A University of Iowa student has died after being found unresponsive on campus grounds early Wednesday as a polar vortex gripped the Midwest in arctic temperatures that have been linked to at least seven other deaths. Gerald Belz, 18, was found behind an academic building on the Iowa City campus just before 3 a.m. by campus police, KCRG-TV reported. The pre-med student was rushed to a hospital, where he later died. DEADLY POLAR VORTEX BLASTS MIDWEST WITH RECORD-BREAKING COLD, FORECASTERS WARN TO 'MINIMIZE TALKING' OUTDOORS Police haven’t released a cause of death, but believed the frigid temperatures played a role, FOX28 Cedar Rapids reported. With wind chill at the time police found Belz was minus 51 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Foul play isn’t suspected and zero alcohol was found in Belz’s system, police said. Belz’s father, Michael, described his son to KCRG as “a momma’s boy with a tough exterior.” He told KCCI-TV of Des Moines that his son, who graduated from Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School, wanted to be a cardiologist. "I want people to remember him as a compassionate person," Michael Belz told KCCI. "He had many more friends than I was aware of. He didn't bring many friends over to the house, but we knew he had lots of friends." The University of Iowa in a statement on Twitter wrote they were "saddened by the loss of a member of the Hawkeye family." Police are continuing the investigation into his death. The university canceled classes until Thursday amid the frigid weather. Meanwhile, an 82-year-old Illinois man was found outside several hours after he fell trying to get into his home, the Peoria Journal Star reported. His cause of death was recorded as related to cold exposure. His identity was withheld until his family can be notified. MICHIGAN CAMERA CAPTURES 15 INCHES OF SNOW FALLING IN 13 SECONDS In Indiana, a 22-year-old police officer and his wife were killed in a crash on an icy road, South Bend station WBND reported. Ligonier Police Officer Ethan Kiser's SUV spun into the path of another SUV, killing the couple and the driver of the other vehicle, 21-year-old Shawna Kiser, officials told the station. Other deaths included a man struck and killed by a snow plow in the Chicago area and a Milwaukee man found frozen to death in a garage. The arctic air Wednesday had closed schools and businesses and strained infrastructure with some of the lowest temperatures in a generation. The deep freeze snapped rail lines, canceled hundreds of flights and strained utilities. The Postal Service suspended mail delivery in parts of the Midwest amid the deep freeze. Temperatures recorded Wednesday saw Chicago drop to a low of around minus 23 degrees. Milwaukee had similar conditions. Minneapolis recorded minus 27 degrees. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, saw minus 25 degrees. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP While the deadly cold weather system that put much of the Midwest into a historic deep freeze was expected to ease Thursday, temperatures could still tumble to record lows in some places before the region begins to thaw out. Before the worst of the cold begins to lift, the National Weather Service said Chicago could hit lows early Thursday that break the city's record of minus 27 degrees set on Jan. 20, 1985. Fox News’ Nicole Darrah and the Associated Press contributed to this report.