FAMU student, Rickards High grad, who drowned in Miramar Beach, brought 'joy to everyone'
Alexander Boyd would have been celebrating his 21st birthday on Wednesday.
The Florida A&M University sophomore and Tallahassee native drowned Saturday at Miramar Beach near Destin while on an annual trip with two of his housemates.
In remembrance of Boyd, a candlelight vigil will take place 7 p.m. Wednesday at 101 Palmetto Street, Unit #133, which is the Knight Scholarship House on FAMU’s campus.
Boyd was an architect major, graduated from Rickards High School in 2021, and those who knew him said he was a soft-spoken, kind-hearted and charismatic person who always knew how to keep a good joke going.
The 20-year-old was also a second-year recipient of the Southern Scholarship Foundation honors, which allowed him to live rent-free at the SSF’s Knight Scholarship House at FAMU. He qualified because of his strong academic merit, good character and financial need.
During a bonding trip that residents in the scholarship program usually take every year, three students were in South Walton County “approximately 150 yards offshore,” according to a South Walton Fire District report. Single red flags were raised at the time, signifying high surf hazards and dangerous rip currents.
After 911 calls about multiple swimmers in distress, a lifeguard launched a water rescue.
FAMU junior Elijah Alston, a Port St. Lucie native who is Boyd’s roommate, was one of the struggling swimmers in the water with Boyd before he lost sight of him as the waves grew more intense.
“I was very nervous and was panicking while everything was going on because I didn’t know what was happening out there in the water,” said Alston.
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Two additional lifeguards along with SWFD’s Advanced Life Support team arrived to look for Boyd, and a 12-minute-long search led to the recovery of Boyd’s body before he was brought back to shore and pronounced dead at the scene.
“He was really caring and was always there even if someone just wanted to talk,” Alston said. “It’s sad that it happened, and he will be missed.”
‘Really gentle and kind guy’
Another student, FAMU senior Khori Smith, is one of Boyd’s housemates and was on a separate trip with his own roommates at Miramar Beach. He arrived on shore after the incident.
“I was just at a loss for words and don’t think I said anything for five to 10 minutes,” said Smith, 22.
“He never had to say much, and his presence would still be felt in a room,” he added. “When he did say something, he said it with a lot of conviction.”
Southern Scholarship Foundation President and CEO Shawn Woodin described Boyd as a "really gentle and kind guy.”
“He was the type of person that everyone wanted to be around because of his demeanor,” Woodin said. “He had this great smile that just brought joy to everyone around him.”
As the FAMU community mourns the loss of Boyd, the university released a statement Tuesday afternoon stating that “President Robinson, students, faculty and staff offer their deepest condolences to his parents, relatives, friends and classmates during this difficult time.”
A similar drowning incident rocked the campus in March 2020 when FAMU senior Te-Andre Brown — a 21-year-old Army ROTC student — died in St. Andrew Bay while rescuing a swimmer while on a spring break trip.
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While reflecting on who Boyd was, Woodin said residents share meals and cook together, acting as a one big family.
“It’s just sad, and we’ve all been deeply affected by this — certainly his housemates, the other residents and my Southern Scholarship staff,” Woodin said. “I have cried, and I know many of them have as well. To lose someone so young has hit us all really badly.”
The Southern Scholarship Foundation created the Alexander Boyd Memorial Fund on Sunday following the tragic incident to raise money for Boyd’s family.
Although the current amount that has been raised is not disclosed, Woodin says the fund has been receiving generous contributions.
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU student, Rickards High graduate dies after drowning at beach
