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UW-Whitewater student's death at quarry ruled accidental

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Benjamin Robert Fuder

ELKHORN — The Walworth County Coroner’s Office has ruled the death of a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student whose body was found in a Whitewater quarry an accident, according to a release from the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office.

Whitewater resident UW-Whitewater junior Benjamin J. Fuder died on July 28 after he fell to the rim of the floor of the Whitewater Limestone quarry, the release noted.

The quarry is located on Franklin Street, just north of the U.S. Highway 12 in the town of Whitewater, the release noted.

The cause of Fuder’s death, according to the release, was due to traumatic head trauma along with significant other conditions, which included the presence of alcohol, cannabinoids, or marijuana, and psilocin.

Psilocin is a hallucinogenic alkaloid found in some mushrooms.

Fuder’s body was found on July 29 after he had been reported missing the night before.

Fuder had last been seen on the morning of July 28 in downtown Whitewater at approximately 12:30 a.m.

A second UW-Whitewater student was found dead at the same quarry in May 2011. That death was also ruled accidental.

At the time of both students’ deaths, there was no fencing around the rim of the quarry, which is owned by Whitewater Limestone, but last month the company said it will fence the perimeter of the property.

The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office did not find any evidence of criminal behavior associated with Fuder’s death, the release said, and has concluded investigation of the case.