By Amanda Hill
Portland, ME (WCSH/CNN) - Divers pulled the body of a Harvard Business School student from a Maine harbor today, just two days before he was supposed to graduate.
The 31-year-old man had been missing since leaving a bar Saturday night while celebrating his upcoming graduation with friends.
Now, police are trying to piece together how he died.
"All we can do at a time like this is being strong for each other and the family and to have our hearts and prayers to whomever we believe in," said Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria.
Nohria spoke about Nathan Bihlmaier just hours after learning his body had been found.
Bihlmaier was just days away from graduating from the school. He already had a job in Boston lined up at United Health, and his wife, Nancy, was pregnant with their first child. Friends say he had a lot going for him.
"Has been widely regarded by his friends as a gregarious person who was the light of the school, and of his section," said Nohria.
Bihlmaier was in Portland with two friends to celebrate graduation. He got separated from the pair at Rira's Irish Pub. Police say he was escorted out around 11:30 for being too drunk.
"We have seen a video which has Nate leaving Rira's that confirms 11:30. At 12:54 Sunday morning, we have confirmation his cell phone was shut off," said Chief Mike Sauschuck with the Portland Police Department.
Before that the last phone call was at 12:15 as he tried to contact his friends.
The effort to find Bihlmaier brought in experts from all over, with K-9 units and cadaver dogs.
"We had a collaborative search over the last few days, with the Maine State Police dive team, the South Portland dive team, the Marine Patrol, the Harbormasters, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard," said Chief Sauschuck.
Until his body was found Tuesday morning. It certainly wasn't the ending anyone was hoping for, but Dean Nohria says at least the search ended quickly.
"We could not have asked for anything more from the police community here in terms of how diligent they have been in helping us in this very difficult circumstance. We were proud to have Nate as a student at Harvard and it's a very sad day today indeed," he said.
Dean Nohria says the school will be honoring Nate Bihlmaier at their commencement on Thursday.
WCSH/CNN