SEBASTIAN — The family of 16-year-old Roylynn Jean Scott is grieving the loss of a Vero Beach High School student whose life ended on Saturday night in a tragic fall at an abandoned condominium complex.
Roylynn, who was preparing to start her junior year, died Aug. 9 at Holmes Regional Medical Center. According to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded Saturday night to an unfinished condo site off U.S. Highway 1 near the Indian River Lagoon after receiving a report that a teenager had fallen from a concrete structure and suffered critical injuries.
A group of juveniles had been trespassing on the property when she fell through a hole in the roof, dropping about 29 feet. Detectives determined the fall was accidental. The buildings have stood abandoned since at least 2007 and carry “No Trespassing” signs.
Her grandparents, Carole and Andrew Melasi, described the grief as overwhelming. “You never expect anything like this to happen. And when it does, the grief is overwhelming. Just overwhelming,” Carole Melasi said.
They remembered Roylynn as a teenager with a big personality who lit up any room she entered. She was loyal to her many friends, adored animals and embraced her individuality. “She would light the room up. She walked in, she let you know she was in the room,” her grandmother said. “She loved her friends. She was loyal. She was my baby girl.”
Roylynn is survived by her father, John Scott, and his wife, Aurea; her mother, Crystal; brothers James, Dustin, Cole, Chase and Ethan; sisters Dani and Yohanna; and several grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles.
The family is calling attention to the long-abandoned structures, saying they should be secured or removed to prevent another tragedy. “We know what she did. We know that they shouldn’t have been trespassing. We know that. But the buildings shouldn’t be there,” Carole Melasi said. Sheriff’s officials have urged parents and teens to stay away from deteriorating abandoned buildings.
A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Grace Lutheran Church, 1150 41st Avenue, Vero Beach. A celebration of life will follow at 6:30 p.m. at 444 Periwinkle Park in Sebastian. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Grace Lutheran Church.
The School District of Indian River County said grief counselors remain available for students and staff. With the family’s consent, a moment of silence is planned before Friday night’s Vero Beach High School football game. Many students plan to wear purple, Roylynn’s favorite color, in her honor.