Student falls from Capstone

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of South Carolina
1

<p>I hope he'll be OK!!</p>

<p>USC student falls from 5th floor dorm window
Oct 5, 2007 12:25 PM
USC student falls from 5th floor window, Brandi Cummings reports</p>

<p>COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - According to University of South Carolina officials, a student fell from his 5th floor room early Friday morning.</p>

<p>The student fell out of the Capstone Residence Hall around 2:30am Friday and landed on the first floor roof of the Gibbes Food Court.</p>

<p>Officials say 18-year-old Taylor Cothran from Greenville was severely injured and transported to Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Hospital. His current condition is unknown.</p>

<p>At this time, they say it appears to be accidental, but USC Police are investigating. Officials say Cothran was alone in the room at the time, and a second-floor resident heard a noise, saw Cothran's body and called the police.</p>

<p>Over 570 USC freshmen live in Capstone as part of the Capstone Scholars program and the Honors College.</p>

<p>Count on WIS News 10 to bring you any updates to this developing story.</p>

<p>Updated by Bryce Mursch</p>

2

<p>This is quite a sad and scary story. Without details, it is difficult to imagine "falling" from the window. Any further developments on this story or status on the student?</p>

3

<p>Last I heard...he is in intensive care in grave condition. His parents and family are asking for prayers. The window doesn't open more than ten inches and the glass was broken. That's all additional I know. The fall is being investigated.</p>

4

<p>I hope he's okay. That's horrible :( My mom lived there and she said she it'd be pretty difficult to fall out of those.
I wonder if it had anything to do with the game last night? Games usually make people pretty rowdy..</p>

5

<p>Apparently the word around campus is that a psychedelic drug was being used at the time of the fall/crash. Of course, that could be rumor. I just hope everything works out for the student and the family.</p>

6

<p>my daughter lives in capstone and the rumor is he was using drugs. also she says some windows can be opened pretty widely and others hardly at all. Luckily he jumped from the fifth floor and not higher up.<br>
the dorm folks are pretty strict about you not throwing anything out the window and now with someone jumping out...</p>

<p>i hope he will recover--how hard it must be for his parents.</p>

7

<p>I was away for the weekend and spoke to S on sunday.He says the rumors are that psychadelic mushrooms were involved.I hope the boy will be okay.
Intersting to nte there was no coverage in the student newspaper today,not even on the editorial page. There was a simple ststment on the home page at the USC website.</p>

8

<p><a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewJournal.do?method=executeInit%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewJournal.do?method=executeInit&lt;/a> </p>

<p>The link above is to the updates and guestbook.</p>

9

<p><a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/taylorcothran%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/taylorcothran&lt;/a> </p>

<p>Trying again. Hope this works.</p>

10

<p>i hope something good comes out of this
my prayers go out to Taylor and his family...</p>

11

<p>I just read last night's entry and decided to post it here for all who have been following the story. My heart goes out to this family.</p>

<p>WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2007 02:58 PM, EDT<br>
With a heavy heart, we must report that Taylor has taken a drastic turn for the worse. Short of a miracle, Taylor is at the end of his journey. The family is preparing to say their goodbyes.</p>

<p>Tom, Teresa and their entire "expanded" family want to thank each of you for your prayers and ask that you continue holding them up for the next part of their journey.</p>

12

<p>Taylor passed away this morning. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.</p>

13

<p>From the Daily Gamecock</p>

<p>"USC student dies after accident</p>

<p>Taylor Cothran died early Thursday morning, hospital says</p>

<p>Brad Maxwell
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: News</p>

<p>Taylor Cothran, a first-year student from Greenville, died early Thursday morning after falling from his dorm room last week, according to a hospital spokeswoman.</p>

<p>Cothran, 18, fell four stories from his fifth-floor window in Capstone House onto the roof of Gibbs Court Cafeteria around 2 a.m. last Friday, according to USC. </p>

<p>Cothran was listed in critical condition at Palmetto Health Richland Community Hospital.</p>

<p>Miguel Salehi, a first-year undecided student who was a good friend of Cothran, said that he is leaning on the support of a group of friends that grew up with Cothran.</p>

<p>"Right now we're all really sad about it. He was the embodiment of our teenage years," Salehi said. </p>

<p>Salehi described Cothran as the "stereotypical teenage guy" with a good personality and tons of friends. </p>

<p>"He was funny all the time, witty, and definitely a caring guy," Salehi said. "He would laugh in the face of danger. He's the reason our car insurance is more expensive than girls'."</p>

<p>Salehi said that he and his friends have a lot of good memories of Cothran and are trying to focus on his life, not his death. </p>

<p>President Andrew Sorensen offered support to Cothran's family and friends on behalf of the university.</p>

<p>"All of us in the university family extend our deepest sorrow and condolences to Taylor's family and friends," Sorensen said in a news release."Our thoughts and prayers are with them. We also offer our support to our students, faculty and staff who would like assistance." </p>

<p>Russ McKinney, university spokesman, said the university would consult with Cothran's family and friends after fall break about doing something in his memory. </p>

<p>"We'll come to a decision to do something meaningful in his memory," McKinney said. </p>

<p>In August 2002, freshman Jessica Horton died after falling from the sixth floor ledge of Patterson Hall. Although foul play wasn't suspected at the time, USA Today reported four years later that high doses of an anxiety relief drug, Xanax, were discovered in her blood.</p>

<p>Since the incident, USC changed the type of windows and the way they open in Patterson, Russ McKinney told The Daily Gamecock in 2006."</p>

14

<p>Although Taylor was not one of my students, he did go through the middle school where I teach. Many here in Greenville knew him and are saddened at the news. I'm sure many people are keeping his family in their thoughts and prayers.</p>

15

<p>This is a real tragedy. Our daughter (also a freshman in Capstone) called last night with the sad news. Our prayers are with his family</p>

16

<p>My prayers are also with the Cothran family.</p>

<p>My son lives in Capstone and knew Taylor. What a tragic loss.</p>