Bamberg 21-year-old dies mysteriously in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A 21-year-old woman from Bamberg, S.C., was pronounced dead after she was brought to a New Orleans hospital on Saturday.

Police received a call of a woman arriving at the hospital around 6:54 a.m. on Saturday. She was pronounced dead upon arrival by hospital staff.

A co-worker, Dawn Gegenheimer, identified the woman as Ciaya Jordan Whetstone.

Gegenheimer says Whetstone got in an Uber around 1 a.m. and was not seen or heard from again until she showed up at the hospital and was pronounced dead several hours later.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and her death remains unclassified at this time.

Whetstone’s cause of death remains under investigation, according to the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office.

In a Facebook post, Gegenheimer says Whetstone was from South Carolina, in New Orleans for school.

“She had the cutest East Coast accent you ever heard,” Gegenheimer said.

School officials say Ciaya Jordan Whetstone was a business administration junior at UNO. She was set to graduate in 2023.

I found her Instagram that says she was from Bamberg and was set to graduate in 2023.

“As a University, few things are more challenging than dealing with the sadness of the death of a student. Our thoughts are with Ciaya’s family and friends,” University President John Nicklow said in a statement.

Counseling is being offered for students and employees.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact detectives at 504-658-5300 or call Crimestoppers anonymously at 504-822-1111.

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