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SCHERERVILLE — A longtime Clark Middle School teacher died last weekend after diving headfirst into a swimming pool, police said.

Robert Ochs, 43, of Dyer, was at a gathering Sunday night at a friend’s house in the 1500 block of Morningside Court in Schererville when he dove into the pool, hitting his head at the bottom, Schererville police Cmdr. Brian Neyhart said Tuesday.

Police initially responded to reports of an unconscious male with a head injury. Once emergency officials arrived on scene, Ochs was transported to Franciscan St. Anthony Health hospital, where he pronounced dead at 8:01 p.m.

Ochs suffered blunt force trauma, but the manner of death is pending, according to the Lake County coroner’s office.

Preliminary reports suggest it was a “tragic accident,” Neyhart said.

Lake County Coroner Merrilee D. Frey said an autopsy was done Monday.*

Lake Central School Corp. Superintendent Larry Veracco said Tuesday Ochs was a math teacher at Clark Middle School. He also taught previously at Lake Central High School and coached football for a number of years.

“He influenced a lot of kids over the years,” Veracco said.