Officials from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday that the death of Syracuse University student Nicholas Delpozo at Pratt’s Falls park was an accident.

Sgt. John D’Eredita of the sheriff’s department said that results from the autopsy as well as further investigation ruled out both foul play and suicide. He added that Delpozo, a senior television radio and film major, called a friend and told them that he was going ‘creek walking’ before he left.

On Sunday, Delpozo’s body was found at the base of Pratt’s Falls after a maintenance worker discovered his locked vehicle in the parking lot and called the sheriff’s department to find the owner. Pratt’s Falls is over 130-feet tall but it is unknown from which point he fell.

D’Eredita said that after Delpozo suffered injuries from his fall, he eventually drowned underneath the waterfall.

On campus, many continued to mourn. Dennis Padula, a junior music industry major said he compares the loss of Delpozo to the loss of a family member, because he was so close with him.

“He was like a big brother to me,” Padula said. “Always punching me around.”

After meeting him his freshman year, Padula added that he became good friends with Delpozo and several times relied on him to vent his frustrations. He said that they got along so well because of their similar opinions, sarcastic humor and because of their mutual involvement in so many activities. It is because of his involvement in so much on campus though, that Padula said his sudden absence has affected so many.

“There is a big void in so many places,” he said.

Delpozo’s parents have decided not to travel to Syracuse as previously planned and will stay in Sacramento to grieve, university spokesman Kevin Morrow said.

Two of the activities that he was heavily involved in were First Year Players and Danceworks, both of which Lauren Skowronski, a junior policy studies and public relations major was involved in.

She said that beyond her own personal grief, her main concern was just how the many other people who relied on him would react.

“I was like ‘Oh my God, what are we going to do now?’ ” Skowronski said.

She added that the biggest testament to his drive and unselfish nature was that he stuck with First Year Players for all four years, when most seniors focus more on having fun their last year on campus.

“He was still very concerned about helping a bunch of freshman do a show,” Skowronski said.

Published on September 17, 2002 at 12:00 pm