UF student from South Florida dies after fall from balcony

A University of Florida student from West Palm Beach died Saturday after falling from a third-floor apartment balcony near campus, authorities said.

Ian Burns, 20, fell from a balcony at 13th Street Apartments at 725 NW 13th St. shortly after 6 p.m., witnesses told police. He was taken to UF Health Shands Hospital, according to Gainesville police. It was unclear when Burns died or how he fell from the balcony.

Officers are investigating the fall and notified Burns’ family of his death Saturday night, police told the Alligator, the university’s student newspaper.

John Hines, a spokesman for the university, told the student newspaper that Burns was a senior studying mechanical engineering.

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 7:40 AM with the headline "UF student from South Florida dies after fall from balcony."