LA CROSSE, Wisc. – The tragic discovery of Viterbo University graduate student Eliotte Heinz’s body in the Mississippi River this week left the La Crosse, Wisconsin, community in shock, remembering the 22-year-old for her sweet demeanor and reigniting calls for increased vigilance in the bustling college town.

Heinz disappeared early Sunday while walking home after a night out at bars with friends. Four days later, a fisherman found her body in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota.

Jonathan Strike, who lives in Heinz’s apartment building, told Fox News that Heinz had only moved in a few months ago, but her kindness radiated in the community.

“Very sweet, quiet girl,” Strike said. “[She] always said ‘Hi’ every time she walked by. Ever since she moved in, [she] always made an attempt to be as friendly as she can be, even with my dog jumping all over everybody. It’s just heartbreaking.”

Authorities were desperately searching for missing grad student Eliotte Heinz, 22, who was last seen early Sunday. She was found four days later in the Mississippi River. (Photos courtesy of Amber Heinz)

“I think it’s always worth having conversations about adequate public safety,” Weston said. “I don’t think it also takes the death of a young person to require a review of our safety protocols. Unfortunately, La Crosse has had a history of losing young folks in the river over the last 30 years. So, unfortunately, it’s not new, and it doesn’t make it any less tragic.”

The University of Wisconsin River Watch, a program started in 2006 to prevent alcohol-related accidental drownings, reported that eight college students drowned in the Mississippi River as a result of excessive drinking between 1997 and 2006.

Weston added that going forward, she thinks there will be an ongoing conversation about river safety in the downtown area.

“It won’t just be city police, it won’t just be the city council, it will also be leaders within the community that will weigh in,” she said.