Gao Death a Mystery

The death of a Chinese scholar visiting at the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID) remained under investigation by several state and county officials yesterday, as colleagues were said to react to the news with shock and sadness.

Xiaomeng Gao, an expert on agricultural development, was pronounced dead Thursday morning after being pulled from the Charles River by Cambridge firefighters.

Gao's death is still under investigation by the major crime unit of the state police, the Suffolk Country District Attorney and the Medical Examiner.

HIID Executive Director Richard Pagett said yesterday Gao's colleagues "were shocked and very sad."

"This was totally unanticipated," Pagett said. "And it is terribly sad." Many of Gao's colleagues at HIID, however, refused to comment yesterday.

Medical Examiner Dr. Leonard Apkins, who is in charge of the case, said yesterday the cause of death was "still pending investigation." City and state officials would not say yesterday whether Gao died in the water or was already dead upon entering.

Also unclear was how Gao entered the water and how he ended up in the hole in the ice under the Mass. Ave. bridge when so much of the river was frozen over.

"We're not sure how the got there," said Lt. Edward Morresy of the Cambridge Fire Department. "We're not sure if he jumped or what."

University spokesperson Peter Costa said Friday there was no reason to suspect foul play.

Morresy said he could not rule out the possibility that Gao had fallen through thin ice, but he did say the ice was able to support two firefighters and their equipment on the morning they attempted to rescue Gao. "It was perfectly stable," he said.

Despite attempts to warm and resuscitate Gao, his body had a core temperature of below 70 degrees when the arrived at Beth Israel Hospital Thursday morning, according to hospital spokesperson Kate Robins.

Firefighters were unable to determine, despite Gao's low body temperature, how long the victim had been in the freezing water. A passing jogger first spotted Gao's brightly colored coat floating near the bridge around 8 a.m. Thursday.

Gao's body was pulled from the river after an extraordinary rescue attempt by Cambridge firefighters Brian O'Regan and Greg Carter. The two used ropes to repel from the Mass. Ave. bridge to the ice 25 feet below.

Editor's note: Due to a reporting error, Xiaomeng Gao's first and last names were reversed in a story which ran Saturday. The Crimson regrets the error.

Gao's body was pulled from the river after an extraordinary rescue attempt by Cambridge firefighters Brian O'Regan and Greg Carter. The two used ropes to repel from the Mass. Ave. bridge to the ice 25 feet below.

Editor's note: Due to a reporting error, Xiaomeng Gao's first and last names were reversed in a story which ran Saturday. The Crimson regrets the error.