Certain moments in journalism are difficult to revisit, incidents that carry the weight of loss long after the headlines have faded. Fifteen years ago, one such moment unfolded at the University of Notre Dame. On October 27, 2010, Declan Sullivan, a 20-year-old junior from Long Grove, Illinois, was recording a football practice when a scissor lift he was operating collapsed in winds approaching 50 miles per hour. The fall proved fatal. The sudden tragedy left the campus community stunned and prompted a full-scale effort to understand what had gone wrong.

In the months that followed, Notre Dame began an internal investigation overseen by Executive Vice President John Affleck-Graves. The inquiry, which stretched over six months and concluded in April 2011, included input from specialists in wind engineering, aerial lift safety, and meteorology.

More than 50 individuals, from eyewitnesses at the scene to university staff involved in practice operations, were interviewed. Investigators also carried out forensic reviews of the lift equipment and related computer data. Alongside the university’s work, the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) conducted its own examination, the findings of which were incorporated into Notre Dame’s final report.

Who was Declan Sullivan, and what was his role at Notre Dame?

Declan Sullivan, born May 26, 1990, in Chicago, grew up in Long Grove, Illinois, and attended Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein. He was known for his energy, humor, and creativity, remembered by his guidance counselor, Christine Hartnett, as “awesome, friendly, hilarious, brilliant.”

At Notre Dame, Declan double-majored in marketing and film, television, and theatre. He lived in Fisher Hall with his roommate Shane Steinberg. The two were good friends. They played together on a basketball team called “The Blouses” and both worked at The Observer. Just days after Declan’s death, Steinberg wrote, “Declan was a soul wild at heart… an individual who struck the perfect balance between being fun-loving and constantly driven.”

Declan wrote for The Observer, covering music and movies, and was known for his fearless, imaginative approach to interviews. He loved film deeply, with hundreds of titles on his Netflix queue and dreams of directing one day. A favorite quote he often shared came from American Beauty: “There is nothing worse than being ordinary.” 

Beyond the screen, he poured his heart into Notre Dame football, capturing every practice with the Athletic Department’s cameras. Whatever he did, Declan brought a spark that made everything brighter.

How did Declan Sullivan die during the Notre Dame football practice?

On October 27, 2010, tragedy struck Notre Dame. During a Notre Dame football practice, Sullivan was working atop a 40-foot aerial lift when fierce winds, gusting up to 53 miles per hour, caused it to collapse. In a heartbeat, a life brimming with potential was gone.

“Barry Sullivan knows the death of his son Declan could have been prevented. He knows bad decisions were made and the best safety practices weren’t followed,” according to the Chicago Tribune’s report. However, the family chose not to pursue a lawsuit or financial settlement. As Declan’s father explained the family’s approach, stating, “Dec would want us to go on and remember him in a positive way. I’d like to think we’re doing that.”

In the months after the tragedy, Notre Dame and the Indiana Department of Labor introduced new safety standards, scissor lifts were to be grounded in winds above 28 mph, and real-time weather monitoring became mandatory during outdoor athletic activities. Each year, about 30 people in the U.S. lose their lives in aerial lift accidents, a number that underscores the importance of these reforms.

The Sullivans honored Declan through the Declan Drumm Memorial Fund, which raised over $100,000 for schools. Notre Dame also created a scholarship in his name and a campus.

How did Coach Brian Kelly respond to the Declan Sullivan incident?

Then-head coach Brian Kelly described the aftermath of Declan’s death as “a very difficult time for me and everybody within our football family.” He said he knew Declan personally and remembered the week of the tragedy as one of the hardest of his career. “I knew Declan… it was a very, very difficult week for all of us,” said Kelly.
Kelly reflected, “We believed practice that day would be productive, and it was, until the tragedy.” He said that once he arrived at the scene and saw the medical staff attending to Declan, he returned to gather his team at midfield and led them in prayer.
However, the university didn’t leave any stone unturned, as Peter Likins, president emeritus of the University of Arizona, independently reviewed Notre Dame’s investigation into Declan Sullivan’s death and praised its accuracy. Likins wrote that the inquiry was “thorough, unbiased and accurate,” noting that every angle was examined and recommendations were made to prevent future tragedies.