UPDATE: former Mayo High School runner’s drowning occurred at Brighton house party

(ABC 6 News) – Reports from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office indicate that former Rochester runner Lance Pfrimmer died at a house party in Brighton, Wisconsin.

A family friend originally told ABC 6 News Pfrimmer’s drowning occurred in Menomonie.

However, according to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to the 212,000 block of Mystic Avenue, Brighton, at about 6:17 p.m. July 8, after a party-goer reported that Pfrimmer’s body had been pulled from the pond on the property.

About 70 people were attending the party at the residence, according to law enforcement.

Witnesses at the pond described a group of University of Wisconsin-Stout students going down a homemade slide into the pond, after which a woman found Pfrimmer at the bottom of the pond, near the slide.

Reports estimate that Pfrimmer was underwater for 1.5-2 hours.

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office ruled Pfrimmer’s death an accidental drowning July 11, to be updated as toxicology results come in.

Deputies noted that “alcohol consumption was evident on the property.”

(ABC 6 News) – It was a day of mourning and celebrating the life of a young Rochester runner, taken too soon.

Lance Pfrimmer, came from a family of runners and was a standout on the Mayo High School cross-country team. At Mayo, Lance was recognized as a Big Nine scholar athlete and all-conference runner. He was honored with the leadership award at the 2021 All-City Champions and 2021 Conference Champions events.

After graduating in 2021, Lance laced up at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, running for the Blue Devils.

But Saturday, the finish line came in an abrupt and unexpected way.

At just 19 years old, Lance passed away in a drowning accident in Menomonie, WI where he went to school. A loss is being felt not only by his family and friends but the entire Rochester running community.

To honor his memory and love of running, TerraLoco owner, Tiffany Piotrowicz, decided to hold a 5K in Lance’s name.

“He was really just an incredible kid,” Piotrowicz said. “His smile would totally just light up the room and he was really a huge part of our running community here.”

Over 300 people came out to show their support for the Pfrimmer family. A line went out the door at TerraLoco, as people piled in to hear stories about Lance.

“I think it says a lot about the running community.” Piotrowicz said. “It’s really part of the running community culture which the Pfrimmers really did help establish, including Lance.”

He was a son, a friend, and a leader, who would encourage runners of all skill levels to make it to the finish line

Piotrowicz added, “Whether you’re the first person or the last person that crosses the finish line, that’s going to be the legacy. That Lance was always out there cheering on everybody.”