A spring break vacation in Miami turned to tragedy on March 23 when Ohio State student Anthony Erick was found dead.

The 21-year-old was found at 9:06 a.m. on the ground outside of The Flamingo, a condominium complex on Biscayne Bay, according to the Miami Beach police department.

Erick, a fourth-year in chemical engineering, was expected to graduate in December.

“It is always a tragedy when a student dies, and the university’s sympathy goes to his family and friends,” said Ruth Gerstner, director of communication for OSU’s Office of Student Life.

Erick was also a member of Theta Tau, the professional engineering fraternity.

Gerstner said the university has extended counseling and help to members of his fraternity and other classmates.

Karen Keller, a fourth-year in biology and friend of Erick’s, described him as “very kind and generous.”

“He could brighten up a room right when he walked in,” Keller said.

Adam Yu, a third-year in international studies and Erick’s roommate, said Erick was “outgoing” and “went out of his way to be unique.”

“He’s a great friend,” Yu said. “It’s sad to lose him.”

Friends and loved ones of Erick have filled up his Facebook wall with farewells and favorite memories.

In an interview with Fox 8 in Cleveland, Erick’s mother, Christina Fortier, said Erick always lived life and wasn’t afraid of anything.

“It was his dream to go to Ohio State,” Fortier said.

Erick graduated in 2007 from Wellington High School, where he was a member of their varsity baseball team.

Wellington athletic director and assistant principal, Jeff Jump, remembers Erick as “happy go-lucky”.

“He was a real good kid for us, a real respectful individual,” Jump said. “We are all very saddened with the happenings of Anthony.”

According to Fox 8 in Cleveland, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s office has not yet ruled on a cause of death, pending the outcome of the police investigation, but Erick is believed to have fallen from the balcony early Wednesday morning.

The medical examiner’s office was unavailable for comment.

Erick’s viewing was on Tuesday. The funeral is scheduled for today at 11 a.m. at the Norton-Eastman funeral home in Erick’s hometown of Wellington, Ohio.