The New Jersey college student who died on spring break last week tragically plunged to his death from the third floor of a Puerto Vallarta, Mexico hotel while trying to help a girl retrieve an ID or phone she dropped from her balcony, The Post has learned.
Henry Meacock, 19, perished at the Melia Hotel on March 15 while trying to jump from one balcony to another, the Jalisco state attorney general and medical examiner told The Post.
The Ohio State University student was the second person to fall from the third floor of the Melia this month, Noticias Puerto Vallarta reported.
The other victim, a 23-year-old man, survived.
Multiple social media postings from residents of Meacock’s teen’s leafy hometown of Westfield claimed he had been trying to retrieve an ID for another hotel guest who dropped it when he crashed through a plexiglass platform.
“At the hotel, a girl a room above his dropped her ID and it landed on plexiglass between the balconies,” one wrote on Facebook.
“He tried to get it for her, stepped on the plexiglass and it gave way and he fell.”
Others said Meacock was trying to retrieve a phone, not an ID.
The affable finance major was hailed in an online obit as “a gentleman to his very core” and “the most genuine soul.”
Meacock was born in England before moving to the US at age 3, according to his obituary.
“Friendships and family were ultimately what gave him happiness,” it read. “He oozed kindness wherever he went and never judged others or tried to change anyone’s mind but at the same time held on to his beliefs.”
Meacock was a golf caddie, former soccer player, and loyal fan of West London’s Queens Park Rangers Football Club, according to the obituary.
“He also loved nothing more than being at the NJ shore with his High School friends or enjoying student life at The Ohio State University in the mix of a large group, where he often set the tempo with his renowned playlists,” the obit read.
Immediately following Meacock’s death, his devastated older sister Ellie, 22, posted an emotional tribute on Instagram.
“My baby brother, I can’t believe it,” she wrote in a post on her page, which has since been set to private. “Words cannot describe how much I miss you. It hurts to breathe without you. You are an extremely special soul that will live on forever.
“The most beautiful boy inside and out. Nobody will ever have a smile quite like yours.”
The Jalisco prosecutor’s office said they are still conducting interviews and investigating the case, but the fall is believed to be an accident, the spokesperson said.
“We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death,” A U.S. State Department spokesperson said. “We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
