© 2025 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cornell University student found dead in Ithaca gorge

A photo shared alongside information about the incidents on the Ithaca Fire Department's Facebook page.
Ithaca Fire Department
/
Facebook
A photo shared alongside information about the incidents on the Ithaca Fire Department's Facebook page.

A Cornell University student died in an Ithaca gorge over the weekend.

Police and firefighters responded to multiple incidents at gorges in the area over a 12-hour period.

Cornell University identified the victim as undergraduate student Winter Knutson on Monday. In a statement, police said Knutson’s death was under investigation, and "there was no indication of foul play apparent" during the initial recovery process.

Knutson was a sophomore math and physics major at Cornell and had attended Ithaca High School, according to a statement from the university. The Cornell Sun reported that Knutson is survived by their sibling, Taran Knutson, and parents, Sofia Akber and Cornell mathematics professor, Allen Knutson.

In a separate incident, the Ithaca Fire Department rescued another Cornell student who had fallen into the gorge Sunday morning. After being rescued by the fire department, the victim was air-lifted to a regional trauma center.

According to a post on the fire department’s social media, police are also investigating that student’s fall into the gorge.

Later that morning, the fire department responded to a call from someone who believed they saw a person jump into a gorge in Ithaca’s South Hill area. The fire department said first responders thoroughly searched the area and did not find anyone.

Recent cuts to federal funding are challenging our mission to serve central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. This is the moment to join our community of supporters and help keep journalists on the ground, asking hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today—not just for yourself, but for all who depend on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.