The bodies of Seton Hall freshman Nidhi Rana and Montclair State University student Ayush Rana were found Friday in the Passaic River, according to a state medical examiner.
The two friends were last seen on Sept. 1 in Passaic where they were reportedly swept away by floodwaters brought to New Jersey by post-tropical cyclone Ida.
Rescue crews were looking for the pair when they found a woman’s body near Kearny Wednesday, according to ABC 7 News. A man’s body was discovered near milepost five on Route 21 the next day, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.
Nidhi Rana was a commuter student who participated in the Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE), according to University President Joseph E. Nyre, who announced the discovery of her body to the Seton Hall community in an email.
"We mourn the tragic loss of a life so young and promising," Nyre said. "Someone who loved her new home of Seton Hall and was loved by the University in return."
Ida’s floods have taken the lives of at least 27 people in New Jersey.
Amanda DeJesus can be reached at amanda.dejesus@student.shu.edu.
