Nashua-Plainfield mourns loss of student who 'was just Sam'

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Nashua-Plainfield Community Schools opened its doors on a holiday Monday after a student died two days earlier at a popular swimming spot in Chickasaw Park.
The Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday morning that 17-year-old Sam Hake drowned in the park’s quarry. Hake was finishing up his junior year at Nashua-Plainfield High School.
“All of us at Nashua-Plainfield were saddened to receive news last evening of the passing of Sam Hake, one of our 11th-grade students,” the Nashua-Plainfield Administrative Team posted on Facebook as it announced that the school would open at 9 a.m. on Memorial Day to provide counseling support for its students.
Hake was a popular student at the school who participated in cross country, basketball and music and also was an active 4-H member.
“Sam was just one of those kids who was part of multiple friend groups,” said Morgan Kapping, who graduated from the school last week. “I mean he would talk to anyone. He was just Sam, and we’re all going to miss him.”
“Sam impacted us in a lot of different ways,” the administrators wrote on the social media post. “Sam will be remembered by his friendly smile and demeanor.”
Chickasaw County Sheriff Marty Hemann said Sunday deputies were dispatched at 3:13 p.m. to the quarry at Chickasaw Park, which is located about four miles west of Ionia.
Numerous agencies were involved in the search for the victim, whose body was recovered later in the afternoon.
Agencies responding to the scene included the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Ionia Fire Department, Chickasaw Ambulance Service, Chickasaw County Emergency Management Services, Chickasaw Rescue Squad Charles City Fire Department, Nashua Fire Department, Nashua Police Department, New Hampton Police Department and the Chickasaw County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Right now, our heartfelt sympathies and thoughts are with the families,” Hemann said. “It’s a tragedy, and that’s where our thoughts need to be.”
Hemann said the incident remains under investigation and that an autopsy will be done.
School officials, too, said they wanted to assist students and their families in any way they could. Although no classes were scheduled because of Memorial Day, counselors met with students in the junior high commons area Monday morning.
“We all react in individual ways to this type of event. Things such as developmental level, our relationships with the people impacted, our previous experience of loss, and our personal perceptions of death impact how we deal with this event,” the administrative team wrote on Facebook. “We should expect, try to understand, and accept a variety of emotions and behaviors. The most important things we should do is be supportive and encourage discussion about the events, our feelings, and what we can do in response to it.”

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