Texas A&M student Justin Richard Delval was found dead in Panama City, Florida Wednesday morning where he was vacationing with friends for Spring Break.
Delval, Katy, Texas native 21-year-old was found face down in a ditch near the Sterling Reef Condominium around 9:45 Wednesday morning. According to investigators, the sophomore general studies student at Texas A&M was said to have met friends at the condominiums and been drinking heavily. His friends last saw him around midnight on Tuesday. They lost track of him in the hotel and continually tried to call and text message him.
Investigators do not suspect foul play and believe Delval fell from a balcony located about 25-feet from the ditch he was found in.
. Fellow Aggie and spring breaker, senior Colt Claypoole was in Panama City when the incident took place, but was not aware of the tragedy until he returned to College Station.
“I didn’t know him; I knew there was a student that fell off the balcony in Panama while I was there, but had no idea it hit so close to home. It is a tragedy about what happened. I do feel terrible for him, no one deserves that and I pray for his parents and their loss of a loved one, the scary reality is that it can happen to anyone,” said Claypoole.
Chris Garcia, Senior at Texas A&M is taken back by the frailty of life and the warning this tragedy sends college students when indulging in alcohol.
“As a student body it’s eye opening, that we have to be careful on spring break, especially when alcohol is involved. It is a tragic loss of life, family and friends are deeply impacted. It just reminds us of how precious life is,” said Garcia.
Classmate, engineering major Matthew Bryan has been having a hard time accepting what has happened. He also had been in Panama with a few of his friends during the time of the accident and was taken by reality.
“He was in my management class, I see him all the time and it is weird not seeing him even though it has only been a few days after Spring Break, it seems unreal. He was a smart kid, the professor passed around cards for those that knew him to sign and offer condolences to his parents and at that moment I had an eerie feeling that came over me. It’s a tragedy,” said Bryan.
Kelly Gonzales, Texas A&M student, can only ask herself one question why?
“I have no words. I literally am looking for words to explain how I feel and I can’t. A beautiful soul has been removed from this world. I hurt,” said Gonzales.
Investigators still do not know the cause of death, but are ruling the incident as alcohol related. An autopsy was performed and toxicology reports are pending.
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