Swarthmore student dies in fall

A Swarthmore College student died Saturday afternoon after accidentally falling several dozen feet off a cliff, police said.

The school identified him as Anthony Chiarenza, a sophomore from Bayside, N.Y.

He fell about 40 or 50 feet in Crum Woods, part of a wooded, rocky section at the back of the school's main campus, said Sgt. Raymond Stufflet of the borough's police department. Stufflet said the fall, which appeared to be accidental, occurred around 2:45 p.m.

"Please keep the Chiarenza family and their friends in your heart, thoughts, and prayers," Valerie Smith, the school's president, wrote in an email sent to students, faculty members, and staff.

Smith, who was officially installed as the college's new president at an inauguration Saturday afternoon, called on the school's 1,500 students and more than 200 faculty members to come together.

"I encourage you to seek the comfort and support of your friends and colleagues," she wrote. Swarthmore's Dean of Students Division will be available Saturday night, Smith said, and one-on-one counseling will be provided by the college's Counseling and Psychological Services.

"Please look out for one another during this very sad time and remain alert to your friends' and students' needs," Smith wrote.

Chiarenza's fall occurred in an area commonly used for outdoor recreation, Stufflet said, with hiking and biking paths.

No one was with the student when he fell, Stufflet said. Local residents found him unconscious and called 911, Smith wrote; he could not be revived.