Police found a missing athlete dead in a river Tuesday night after he reportedly committed suicide.
Officers ceased their search for Flordan “Flo” Bazile after they discovered the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth track star’s body in the water, school officials announced in an email, according to NBC Boston.
“With great sadness, I write to tell you that Flordan ‘Flo’ Bazile, a Charlton College of Business undergraduate student, has passed away,” University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Chancellor Mark Fuller said in a statement. “In the coming days, we will share information with students, staff and faculty about any plans to honor Flo’s memory and celebrate his life on campus. Our thoughts and prayers are with Flo’s family, friends, teammates, and classmates during this very sad time.”
UMass Dartmouth athlete Flordan ‘Flo’ Bazile found dead in river after apparent suicide: report https://t.co/M7kHYjUCTk pic.twitter.com/Jx8b38KC9g
— New York Post (@nypost) January 17, 2024
Bazile, who was 21 years old, was last seen around 2:00 a.m. Monday at the university’s main campus at Pine Dale Hall dormitories, 10 WJAR reported.
UMass Dartmouth Police found Bazile’s body in the Acushnet River, seven miles from his last known location, according to the outlet. The Acushnet River spans 8.6 miles. (RELATED: 20-Year-Old College Soccer Star Dies Suddenly)
Bazile holds the school record for the 100-meter dash. Within the past two weeks, the sprinter was named the 2024 Little East Conference Track Athlete and Track Rookie Athlete of the Week, according to UMass Dartmouth Athletics. He was also named Little East Conference Rookie Track Athlete of the Year in 2022.
Coaches remembered Bazile as “hard-working, energetic, a champion, and a great friend,” Fuller noted in his statement.