High school student’s cause of death unknown

The name of an Issaquah High School student who died March 3 has been released. Nicholas W. Bethel, a 17-year-old high school junior, died in Seattle.

The name of an Issaquah High School student who died March 3 has been released.

Nicholas W. Bethel, a 17-year-old high school junior, died in Seattle.

The cause and manner of death are pending, officials at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office said. It’s likely that a cause of death won’t be determined for several months, due to the necessity of additional laboratory tests. Those tests can be neurological, microbial and toxicological, among others, officials said.

Extra counselors were brought in to IHS from other district schools to talk with students and teachers and provide extra support. The school also set up a “safe room” where individuals could go for help, according to school district officials.

The extra counselors will be on hand for several days.

IHS Principal Paula Phelps issued an e-news notice to the community March 3 alerting parents of the death, and listing the signs of grief that may be affecting students.

“The entire Issaquah community hurts from the loss,” she wrote.