JANUARY 8, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: RUDY YOVICH, SID
260-481-6646

IPFW Mourns the Loss of Tony Laux

Fort Wayne, IN- IPFW men’s volleyball manager Tony Laux was killed in a tragic accident Tuesday afternoon, while with the team in Puerto Rico.

Laux, 32, apparently fell off of a 20-foot-high cliff into the heavy surf at Cerro Gordo Beach in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.

Vega Alta police said that Laux struck his head on a rock during the fall.

According to reports, about 30 people associated with the IPFW volleyball team, including team members, relatives, and fans were leaving the beach area, and were about a half-mile away from Laux, when the accident occurred.

A number of people dived into the water to try to rescue Laux, but the rough surf prevented them from finding him for nearly 10 minutes. IPFW trainer Scott Knerr immediately began to administer CPR, but was unable to resuscitate him.

Laux graduated from IPFW in May of 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He lived in Fort Wayne, and was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at IPFW. Laux was a member of the 1996 IPFW Cross-Country Team, and had a passion for the sport of volleyball. He was also the sports editor of the IPFW Communicator in 1997-98. He wrote a feature column called 'Dirty Laundry'.

Laux was currently taking classes to earn a master’s degree in Education.

The IPFW volleyball team has been in Puerto Rico since Saturday (1/3) to participate in exhibition matches against the University of Puerto Rico this week. At the time of the accident, team members were taking a break from training to visit a beach near the condominium of one of the player’s parents. The beach was marked off for swimming.

Laux is survived by his mother, Judy Coyle, his father, John Laux, of Milwaukee, his stepfather, Dan Coyle, of Whitley County, and a sister, DeDe Laux, of Endicott, NY.

~Dons~