Tufts Professor Dies In North Carolina Drowning

MEDFORD, MA – A longtime professor at Tufts University has been identified as the victim of a drowning in North Carolina this week. Jerry Meldon, 69, died Tuesday in High Rock Lake, according to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina.

Meldon, a Hopkinton resident, was an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Tufts School of Engineering. In an emailed statement, Jianmin Qu, dean of the Tufts University School of Engineering, said:

“It is with deep sadness that we learned of the unexpected passing of our colleague and friend, Dr. Jerry H. Meldon. Jerry, an associate professor in the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, was a great asset to the university and had a profound impact on the students he taught throughout his 40-year career at Tufts. He will be greatly missed by many students, colleagues, alumni, and staff.”

Emergency crews responded to High Rock Lake around 2:35 p.m. Tuesday afternoon for a report of a possible drowning. Meldon's body was recovered under the dock at 545 Roy Copley Road.

Davidson County Sheriff David Grice said a witness saw Meldon go underwater and never return to the surface. Police have ruled the death an accidental drowning.

A 19-year-old man drowned in the same lake earlier this month, according to CBS Boston.

Photo via Tufts University, used with permission