Cause of Death Released for 23-Year-Old College Swimmer Who Died Suddenly

A coroner has released the cause of death of a recent University of Arizona graduate and swimmer who died suddenly last month.

Ty Wells passed away on Jan. 27 at the age of 23 after a successful swimming career, the school announced on Jan. 30.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of recent alum Ty Wells, who passed away on Friday.

Our heartfelt condolences are with his family, his friends and the entire @ArizonaSwimDive family. pic.twitter.com/ksUtynhXWy

— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) January 30, 2023

A medical examiner released a preliminary report on Friday listing his cause of death as natural and related to multiple infections.

Wells was a member of the Wildcats swim team from 2018 to 2022, specializing in the breaststroke.

He graduated from Arizona last May with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and physiology.

A biography of Wells on the school’s athletics website states he was born in 1999 in Mountain View, California. He is survived by his parents and a sister.

After Wells’ sudden death, Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke described him as “a light that shined bright in the lives of everyone he came across.”

“Ty was a tremendous young man who proudly represented the University of Arizona in the pool, classroom and community,” Heeke said in a statement.

“Ty was a decorated swimmer, dedicated student and outstanding leader who was a member of our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was passionate about serving in the community,” Heeke added, according to Fox News.

A GoFundMe was set up for Wells’ parents after his death. The campaign sought to raise $25,000 but had hauled in more than $68,000 in donations as of Tuesday afternoon.

The campaign organizer, a parent of an Arizona swimmer, called Wells one of the team’s “most adored swimmers” whose smile “lit up a room.”

“He was a guiding light to all of his friends and teammates as well as to all of us parents. He brought out the best in all of us and cared so deeply.”

Wells was a fifth-year senior on the team. He had plans to either become a physical therapist or pursue work in sports medicine, according to SwimSwam.