A Georgia Tech football recruit’s death on a train track is ruled a suicide

The death of a promising 17-year-old athlete from Deerfield Beach, Florida, has been ruled a suicide, the medical examiner said Tuesday.

Bryce Gowdy was struck and killed by a train on Monday, a week before he was due to join Georgia Tech’s football team.

A standout wide receiver on his high school football team, Gowdy was transported to Broward Health North after a pedestrian accident involving a train, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s office. He died at the hospital.

The Broward County Medical Examiner’s office has ruled the manner of death as suicide, listing the cause as blunt force injuries.

Gowdy finished classes at Deerfield Beach High School a semester early so he could start classes and join Georgia Tech’s football team on January 6, the school said in a statement.

“Our entire Georgia Tech football family is devastated by the news of Bryce’s passing,” Georgia Tech football head coach Geoff Collins said. “Bryce was an outstanding young man with a very bright future. He was a great friend to many, including many of our current and incoming team members.”

In the statement, Georgia Tech said Rivals.com, a network of websites that cover high school sports recruiting, considered Gowdy the 37th-ranked wide receiver in the country.

How to get help: If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, you can call 1-800-273-8255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It provides free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people in suicidal crisis or distress.