Former Utah State University President Kermit Hall suffered a heart attack before drowning off the shore of South Carolina on Sunday, according to preliminary autoposy results.
"He experienced a cardiac event that precipitated him losing consciousness and drowning," said Beaufort County Sheriff's Capt. Robert Bromage.
Full autopsy results may not be ready for up to a month, Bromage added.
Hall and his wife, Phyllis, were swimming off the shore of Hilton Head, S.C., when Hall, 61, began waving his arms and yelling for help about 100 yards offshore. Rescuers pulled Hall from the water and he died 40 minutes later at the Hilton Head Regional Medial Center at 3 p.m.
Hall was named the 14th president of USU in January 2001 and left the Logan school in 2004 to become president of the University of Albany in New York.
"He was a tireless advocate for higher education in Utah — a steadfast commitment to educational opportunities that he carried with him to the University at Albany. On behalf of Utah State University, I express our deep sorrow over the loss of an extraordinary leader in education," current USU President Stan L. Albrecht said.