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Bermuda Officials: Missing St. Joseph's University Student Found Dead

HAMILTON, Bermuda (CBS/AP) -- Police in Bermuda say they have found the body of a missing St. Joseph's University student.

Authorities say 19-year-old Mark Dombroski was found dead on Monday. They did not release a cause of death.

BPS Press Conference: Mark Dombroski

Posted by Bps Pmr on Monday, March 19, 2018

The freshman, who was in Bermuda on a trip with the university's rugby team, went missing early Sunday morning about 1 a.m. from outside a popular pub known as The Dog House bar.

Acting Assistant Commissioner James Howard says Dombroski's body was found at the base of a colonial era fort in the British Island territory.

Howard says they have not ruled out foul play in the death.

"The area has been cordoned off. We are actively processing the scene and we expect an autopsy to be carried out in due course," said Howard.

He expressed his "heartfelt condolences to his family and friends" after an intensive search for local authorities, volunteers, and relatives of the student.

Authorities say surveillance video last caught Dombroski walking alone while using a cellphone.

Earlier in the day, Dombroski's mother, Lisa Dombroski, pleaded for her son's safe return.

"We dearly love our son, we cherish our son," she said.

The university said in a statement that they are "heartbroken" over Dombroski's death.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the Dombroski family along with Mark's teammates, classmates and friends," the university said.

The university added that counseling and ministry are available for students who are in mourning.

Friends back at home had been anxiously waiting for updates.

"I had to leave class. I can't focus or anything. It's a lot. You don't think about things happening like this to people that you know," said Alyssa Chervinsky.

"Terribly saddened by the loss of our teammate Mark Dombroski ('21) who was our friend, our teammate, and our brother. A true champion of the game," said the Saint Joseph's University Rugby team on Facebook.

Bermuda police Dombroski was supposed to leave Sunday to return to the U.S.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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