Autopsy on Northwestern Student from New Hyde Park Shows Drowning

A report from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office showed that the death of Northwestern University student Harsha Maddula was ruled an accidental drowning.

Maddula, of New Hyde Park, was last seen alive on Saturday, September 22, at 12:30 a.m., walking home from a party he attended off campus.

Officials say Maddula suffered from diabetes, which is caused when the body does not produce enough insulin or when cells ignore insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association. The hormone insulin is necessary to convert glucose, the sugar that makes up foods, into energy for the body.

There was no evidence of insulin found in Maddula’s body according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Examiners did find evidence of alcohol in the bloodstream.

A doctor who was also a neighbor of Maddula in New Hyde Park, stated that the university sophomore was “depressed” following his diagnosis as a diabetic and had difficulty at first before being convinced by family to take insulin injections.

Maddula’s body was found approximately two miles from Wilmette Harbor, which is located near the Northwestern campus. Police investigators on the scene said there were no signs of foul play on the body.