US college student found dead in river died of drowning, alcohol poisoning, police say

Riley Strain, a US college student who disappeared after leaving a downtown Nashville bar and whose body was later found in a river, died of accidental drowning and alcohol poisoning, the coroner’s office said today.

Strain’s body was found in the Cumberland River in West Nashville, Tennessee, on the morning of March 22, a few miles from where he had gone missing. The 22-year-old University of Missouri student was in town on a weekend trip two weeks earlier when he was kicked out of a bar, authorities said.

The autopsy report said Strain’s blood-alcohol level was 0.228, nearly three times the legal limit to drive. The cannabis compound Delta-9 THC was also found in his system, the report said.

Police found that Strain had consumed “multiple alcoholic beverages” at various Nashville establishments, had become separated from friends and was “noticeably impaired” while walking along Gay Street, adjacent to the Cumberland River, on the night of March 8 .

Detectives concluded that Strain, who was unfamiliar with the terrain and walking in the dark, stepped into an overgrown area and fell down the steep embankment leading to the river and into the water. Because of the recent rain, the river was very high that night with a fast current, police said.

“MNPD continues to extend its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Riley Strain,” their statement added.

Strain’s family requested an independent autopsy when his body was exhumed, they previously told CNN.