PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Family, friends and school leaders on Monday were mourning the death of a missing William T. Dwyer High School student whose body was found in a body of water, authorities said.
In a recorded phone call to parents, Principal Corey Brooks said the Palm Beach County student died "following an off-campus accident."
"I'm a parent, so I'm coming from a place of empathy in the sense of no parent should bury a child," Susanne Nichols said.
According to the Jupiter Police Department, the student was reported missing by his family about 11:30 p.m. Sunday. He was last seen by his friends earlier in the day in the area of Alternate A1A and Donald Ross Road.
Following an extensive search involving Jupiter police and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, the teen's body was found in a body of water, north of where he was last seen, police said.
Football coach McKinley Rolle identified the student as Tiger Campbell Rollins, a junior at the school. Rolle said Tiger's dad is the track coach, and girls basketball coach and also coached with the Jupiter Mustangs.
He described Tiger as a lively young man, very popular, always smiling, very confident. He said Tiger's death hit so many people because everyone liked him. He had a way of making people's day better and was very competitive.
Rolle said they plan to dedicate their football season to Tiger.
Brooks said grief counselors are available for Dwyer High School students and staff members to help them cope with the tragedy.
"Parents, please monitor your students’ behavior for any signs of distress related to this devastating accident," Brooks said in his message. "Please do not hesitate to send any students to a counselor for help."
A GoFundMe page was created to help the family with funeral costs.
William T. Dwyer High School, located at 13601 North Military Trail in Palm Beach Gardens, has one of the largest student enrollments of any Palm Beach County public school with roughly 2,300 students.
