Princeton, N.J. — The nearly week-long search for a missing Princeton University student came to a tragic end Friday morning when the body of Lauren Blackburn, 23, was recovered from Lake Carnegie, according to university officials.
The Department of Public Safety at Princeton confirmed the discovery but said a cause of death has not yet been determined.
“I am deeply saddened to share with you that the body of Lauren Blackburn ’26 was found at Lake Carnegie this morning,” Dean of Undergraduate Students Regan Crotty wrote in a letter addressed to the campus community. “Our hearts are heavy, and we share our deepest condolences with Lauren’s family and friends during this unimaginable time.”
Blackburn, an English major from the Class of 2026, was last seen near Firestone Library around 6 p.m. on April 19, according to university officials. After he was reported missing on Tuesday, authorities issued a campus-wide alert and began an extensive search.
Investigators were able to ping Blackburn’s cellphone near the vicinity of Lake Carnegie around midnight Tuesday, which shifted search efforts to the man-made reservoir located just south of campus, near Princeton’s athletic complex. The body was ultimately found in the lake, which sits approximately one mile from where Blackburn was last seen.
Lake Carnegie, which spans 263 acres, was a gift to the university from steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who funded the project in the early 20th century at a cost of $450,000—roughly equivalent to $9.5 million today. The lake has a uniform depth of about nine feet at a 35-foot distance from the shoreline.
Officials have not released further details surrounding Blackburn’s death. The Princeton community is mourning the loss of a student described by peers and faculty as bright, thoughtful, and deeply engaged in campus life.
The university announced that counseling services and support resources are being made available to students and staff as they cope with the tragedy.