Otto Warmbier Dies After Return From North Korea

(AP) – Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old student who was returned in an unconscious state last week from North Korea, died Monday, his family said.

“Surrounded by his loving family, Otto died today at 2:20 p.m.,” his parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, said in a statement.

Otto Warmbier’s doctors at University of Cincinnati Medical Center said last week that he had extensive brain damage dating back longer than a year. They said he was in a state of unresponsive wakefulness and wasn’t aware of his surroundings.

The doctors who treated Warmbier said they had agreed not to speak about his outlook, but they had said he did not require help breathing.

The Warmbier family did not say how Otto died.

“We would like to thank the wonderful professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who did everything they could for Otto. Unfortunately, the awful torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today,” the family said in their statement.