Sister: Former UC Berkeley Student Fell From Frat House
BERKELEY (CBS-SF) -- A former UC-Berkeley student who tumbled from the roof of a fraternity house last week survived the fall, but was discovered dead hours later, the 22-year-old's sister told a Bay Area newspaper late Tuesday.
Speaking to the Bay Area Newspaper Group, Caity Engler said police have told the family that her brother Jeff survived the 30 feet fall from the Pi Kappa Phi house sometime Friday night.
She said while he was alone when he fell, he was discovered on the lawn outside and helped inside. He spoke with friends, but when authorities were called to the house at 7 a.m. Saturday he was pronounced dead.
Jeff Engler was a fraternity member but didn't live at the house. He had not attended classes at Berkeley since 2012.
"The roof was one of his favorite places," Caity Engler told the Bay Area News Group. "He'd go up there to write or play his guitar."
Jeff Engler, a San Leandro resident, had been visiting Pi Kappa Phi for a small holiday party when he died, according to police.
"(He) was with people he loved, at a place he loved," Caity Engler told the paper. "Unfortunately on this night, all that love involved too much alcohol. And a roof."
Todd Shelton, a spokesman for the national office of the fraternity, said the students there have been instructed to cooperate fully with the Berkeley police investigation.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the alumnus's family and friends," fraternity CEO Mark Timmes said in a statement. "The fraternity is continuing to work with the university staff to provide support to the student members of the chapter."
The death may be the third alcohol-related death in the area, nicknamed "frat row," since late last year.
A 20-year-old student was found dead in front of the Zeta Psi fraternity at 2729 Bancroft Way at 12:09 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2014. His death was later confirmed to be from alcohol poisoning.
Another student, a 20-year-old UC Berkeley junior, was found dead almost a year ago to the day, on the morning of Dec. 20, 2014. Police said his death was suspicious and possibly alcohol-related.
A Berkeley city report from April said 95 percent of injuries and deaths at fraternities nationwide are alcohol-related.
Police are asking anyone with information about Engler's death to call the department's homicide section at (510) 981-5741.
