West Point cadet from Pleasanton drowns on spring break in Florida
A West Point cadet from Pleasanton drowned while on spring break in Florida, the military academy announced Wednesday.
Havin Morris, 21, died in Fort Lauderdale of an apparent accidental drowning, West Point said in a statement, noting that police do not suspect foul play. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said Morris was last seen Saturday night while on a spring break trip to the coastal city north of Miami.
Police spokesperson Casey Leining told the Miami Herald that a police dive team pulled his body out of a river.
Morris’ death comes two years after several West Point cadets overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl while on spring break in Florida.
“Cadet Morris was a valued member of the Corps of Cadets, committed to serving his country as an Army Officer,” West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland said in a statement. “The entire West Point Community offers our heartfelt condolences to the Morris family.” Morris was a 2020 graduate of Amador Valley High School, part of the Pleasanton Unified School District, Pleasanton Weekly reported at the time.
His family could not be reached Wednesday morning.
Morris was a “bright, resilient young man with a determination to succeed,” according to West Point tactical officer Maj. Rebecca Gogue.
The Army notified the cadet’s family of his death, the school said, and an officer had been appointed to support family members. West Point, an elite federal service academy 50 miles north of New York City, said it had made counselors available to assist cadets, staff and faculty in the aftermath of his death.