text: The body of a missing University of Minnesota student has been pulled from the Mississippi River five days after she plunged from a bridge during a night out, medical examiners have said. Jennifer Houle, 22, vanished from a bar in Minneapolis in the early hours of Friday and was later captured on surveillance footage as she walked alone on the 10th Avenue Bridge. Authorities have not said whether she fell or jumped from the bridge, which is 110ft above the river. Following days of searches, a body was recovered on Wednesday. The medical examiner's office identified the body as Houle's on Thursday. Loss: A body believed to belong to Jennifer Houle (pictured left, and left with a friend) has been found in the Mississippi River in Minneapolis after she was last seen on a nearby bridge early on Friday morning . She died of freshwater drowning the medical examiner's office said in a press release, according to the Star Tribune. 'We want to thank law enforcement, all the Hennepin County sheriff's [deputies], the Minneapolis police ... and all the compassion they've shown to us,' John Houle told the Star Tribune. 'They've done such an amazing job keeping us informed about the investigation. We sincerely appreciate their tireless efforts to figure out what happened to Jennifer and to bring her home to us.' Houle was last seen inside a Dinkytown bar, Blarney Pub and Grill, between 1am and 2am on Friday, police said. Her friend Brooke Laven told KSTP that they had gone bar-hopping on Thursday evening but that while they were out, they ran into one of Houle's ex-boyfriends. Discovery: Teams of rescuers are pictured on Monday as they searched the Mississippi River in an effort to recover Houle's body. It was found on Wednesday - five days after she vanished . Last seen: Police said video evidence showed she entered the Mississippi River from this bridge on 10th Avenue, which is just several blocks from the bar. It is not yet clear whether she fell or jumped . 'That kind of set off some emotions,' Laven told KSTP. She said she had become separated from Houle in the bar and was unable to find her. Laven said that Houle's purse and phone were found in the street near her apartment just a few blocks from the bar at 3am on Friday, suggesting she had tried to walk home. But police told DailyMail.com that they believe she had already entered the water by the time the purse was found. 'We extend our deepest condolences to the Houle family and all of Jennifer's many friends,' the police said in a statement. Houle studied management at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and was a Phi Beta Phi sorority member and part of the Women in Business group on campus. On Tuesday evening, more than a thousand friends and well-wishers - many dressed in purple, Houle's favorite color - paid tribute to the student at a vigil at the University of Minnesota. Missed: Fellow students gathered for a vigil for Houle at Stillwater Area High School on Sunday . Loved: Friends have remembered her as a fun, bubbly student who 'had such a great impact on so many' Scene: Houle and a friend had been drinking at this bar before she vanished between 1am and 2am Friday . Speaking to the Minnesota Daily, student Madie Eckstrom, one of Houle's friends from high school, recalled her 'infectious smile and bubbly laugh'. 'She had such a great impact on so many people,' Eckstrom said. The family was overwhelmed by the show of support, her father said. 'Jennifer would have been pleased to see the outpouring for her,' he told the Star Tribune. 'As a family, we certainly feel that love from the community.' He said that they also plan to have a ceremony to celebrate her life on April 12 at the university. University vice provost Danita Brown Young said counseling is available for the University of Minnesota community. 'We are deeply saddened to learn of the news about Jennifer Houle,' the University of Minnesota said in a statement. 'Our thoughts are with her family, friends, classmates, and sorority sisters.'
target: Jennifer Houle went missing between 1am and 2am on Friday during a night out with a friend in Minneapolis .
  Police discovered video footage showing her alone on a nearby bridge and said she entered the water - but it is not clear if she jumped or fell .
  Teams searching the water recovered her body on Wednesday .
  Medical examiner's office say Houle died of freshwater drowning .