A student at UMASS Dartmouth known as Flordan Bazile, or “Flo,” went missing on Monday, January 15. Around two in the morning of that particular morning, he disappeared from campus. A search, both on land and at sea, was initiated by the report, and tragically, his body was discovered on Tuesday.
The body of Bazile was discovered in the Acushnet River after more than 24 hours of police searching the Fairhaven region. The district attorney’s office for Bristol County told NBC 10 that they were not looking into any possible wrongdoing. All signs pointed to Bazile’s suicide.
Flo was remembered by those who knew him “as hard-working, energetic, a champion, and a great friend,” according to Chancellor Mark Fuller, Ph.D., who issued a message to the school upon the news’s release. “About any plans to honor Flo’s memory and celebrate his life on campus,” he pledged to keep the college community apprised. In the days after the news broke, UMASS Dartmouth announced that school will be offering free counseling to faculty, staff, and students.
Bazile, a native Floridian, ran the 100-meter dash in the school record time while competing on the track and field squad at the university. In the two weeks preceding his death, he had also been selected the school’s rookie athlete of the week. He was named the Little East Conference Track Athlete of the Year in 2023 and the Rookie Track Athlete of the Year in 2022, among many other honors, for his speed and talent.
Bazile was outstanding off the pitch as well. He attended one of the nation’s most prestigious business schools, Charlton College.
