University of Hartford Student in Critical Condition After Fall Days Before Graduation

A 22-year-old student from the University of Hartford who is scheduled to graduate Sunday is in critical condition at Hartford Hospital after falling, head-first, from rocks by a waterfall in Enders State Forest in Granby on Thursday afternoon and landing 15 to 20 feet below.

Officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection have identified him as Adam Messing, of River Edge, New Jersey, and said he remains at Hartford Hospital. Messing is a Barney School of Business student scheduled to gradate with a degree in insurance and finance, according to a statement from the University of Hartford.

"He is hospitalized, his family is with him, and I know you will join me in hoping and praying for his recovery," Dr. J. Lee Peters, vice president for student affairs, said in a statement. 

LifeStar responded to Enders State Forest and transported him.

Messing was hiking with other University of Hartford students and friends when he fell, according to a statement from the school.

Witnesses said several people rushed to help him and someone performed CPR because Messing was not breathing. 

When first responders arrived, Messing was unconscious but had started breathing.

Peters said counselors are available for members of the school community who need someone to talk to. 

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