Medical Examiner Confirms Identity Of San Diego State University Student Who Committed Suicide By Drowning
The medical examiner has confirmed that the body found in San Diego’s Lake Murray is that of 18-year-old Christian Pier Ayala. The body was found on March 27 by divers searching a lake in San Diego after they were tipped off two days earlier. On March 25, visitors to Lake Murray, in San Diego’s Mission Trails Regional Park, found the wallet, backpack, and cell phone belonging to the teen, as well as footsteps leading towards the water. However, witnesses say there were no footsteps leading back to shore.
On March 26, a punctured raft and a bottle of vodka washed ashore. With still no sign of Christian Ayala, divers were prompted to scour the water in search of the San Jose native, where they eventually found his lifeless body on the bottom of the lake, with the help of sonar equipment. A suicide note is reported to have been found in his dorm room at San Diego State University.
Christian Ayala, who was born in San Jose, California, in 1996, was attending San Diego State University at the time of his suicide, and although a note was found, it has not been released to the public, and no reports as to the reasoning behind his tragic death have surfaced. His obituary speaks of a young man who loved his family and friends deeply, and whose deep caring of the world around him will be carried on even in death, as the family is asking for donations to homeless services, in lieu of flowers.
“Known for his deeply soulful, creative and caring heart, Christian enriched the lives of many through his love of learning, music, service to others, deep relationships with friends and family, poetry, creative writing and his innate ability to light up a room, bringing life and laughter to those around him.”
Friends are remembering the young San Diego student on Twitter, with the hashtag #RIPChristian.
Saddened to hear about the passing of someone who had touched so many lives. Hope you rest easy, Christian. #RIPChristian
— seve (@sevleton) March 29, 2015
https://twitter.com/katelynwilhelm/status/581859844291887104
https://twitter.com/rachjoji/status/581896127479312384
Suicide is the third leading cause of death of young people aged 15-24-years-old in the United States. While it is incredibly tragic, hopefully the terrible death of San Diego state student Christian Ayala can have some good come of it, and it can perhaps spark a conversation about depression — which is the number one leading cause of suicide and suicidal thoughts in America — and allow for some education among young people about how to cope with and combat depression and suicidal thoughts before it’s too late.
[Image Credit: LA Times]
