A 21-year-old male student died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital yesterday after several days in critical condition. He was injured in a fall down a flight of stairs at Our House East early Sunday morning.
Jake Freeman, a middler business administration major, suffered a skull fracture and brain injury after he fell down the stairs leading from the kitchen to the basement of the Gainsborough Street bar around 1:45 a.m., said Paul Tyman, one of Freeman’s Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity brothers who was at the scene.
The Boston Police Department (BPD), Emergency Medical Services and the Northeastern University Police Department responded to a 911 call from the bar, said Jill McLaughlin, BPD media relations officer.
“He fell down the stairs and was bleeding from the head [when police arrived],” she said.
BPD is investigating the accident and the department had no further comment, McLaughlin said.
Our House manager Jake Hague declined to comment about the specifics of the incident, but said, “It was a tragic, freak accident and our hearts go out to the family.” Tyman said many members of Pi Kappa Alpha were at the scene and went to the emergency room.
Freeman was on life support since the incident and was taken off yesterday after his family decided to donate his organs to those in need of transplants, said his mother Lisa Klairmont.
Klairmont said the family was notified shortly after Freeman arrived at the emergency room and they flew from California Sunday.
“This selfless decision by Jacob’s family will save the lives of as many as seven people and enhance the lives of 52 others,” Northeastern Director of Communications Fred McGrail said in a statement to The News. “The Northeastern University community extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of Jacob Freeman.”
Freeman, who was from Tiburon, Calif., transferred to Northeastern from Santa Barbara City College in September 2006.