Spring Break wake-up call tragedies

As many locals know, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami are popular destinations for college students during spring break.  Our beaches will be crowded with teens doing their thing - having fun in the sun on a break from their studies.  Of course there are many other teens that will look for alternatives to the beach.

Either way, this is a disturbing top ten list, but one that teens need to know about and understand that accidents can happen and do happen.  Unfortunately during spring break there has been too many tragedies and the more awareness your teens and college students have, the safer they will be.

Spring Break is a time for college students to let loose and have fun for one week in March before starting finals. Many students from traditional and online colleges take this opportunity to go on trips with their friends to locations where the weather is warm and the beer is flowing. Spring Break may be one of the best and wildest times in all of college, but it's also one of the most dangerous and reckless weeks for students. This time of the year brings many tragic accidents and deaths that could have been avoided for some and not so for others.

Here are the top 10 college Spring Break tragedies:

1. Michael Finney: In 2010, NYU student Michael Finney died during his Spring Break vacation in Florida. The 20-year-old drowned after he and a friend were swept up by a current and taken 80 yards from shore. A bystander ran into the water to try to rescue Finney and his roommate, Shreshth Dugar, but was only able to reach Dugar on the first attempt. The man went back to rescue Finney, but when he reached him he was already unconscious and not responsive. Finney was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
2. David Parrish: In 2008, University of Colorado student David Parrish died while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, during Spring Break. The 21-year-old student was shot and killed when he tried to resist two robbers near the marina. Parrish was on the trip with his mother, who did not appear to be with him when the shooting occurred.
3. Tyler Danielson: In 2010, Iowa State University student Tyler Danielson died in a motor vehicle accident while on his Spring Break trip to California. The 19-year-old was traveling with a group of friends when their vehicle hit a median and rolled. All passengers were thrown from the car and Danielson was pronounced dead at the scene.
4. Amanda Eskridge: In 2004, University of Maryland student Amanda Eskridge was killed while on Spring Break vacation with her three friends. The 20-year-old student died in Cancun, Mexico, when she was struck by a Cancun Mass Transit bus while walking across the street to her hotel. The bus was reportedly going over the speed limit and did not stop after hitting her, but no charges were filed against the bus driver.
5. Andrew Guglielmi: In 2000, Andrew Guglielmi of Findlay, Ohio, died while on Spring Break vacation in Panama City, Fla., when he fell from a hotel balcony. The 19-year-old college student had been drinking and had a high blood-alcohol content when he fell from the third floor and struck his head on the sidewalk.
6. Matthew Painley: In 2003, Slippery Rock University student Matthew Painley died while kayaking on the Youghiogheny River during Spring Break. According to reports, the 19-year-old freshman launched his boat alone that day, and because of the turbulent water and powerful rapids, it is believed that his boat capsized around entrance rapids and he fell off. Rescuers found Painley and gave him CPR for about an hour, but they were unable to revive him.
7. Zeke Rucker: Joseph "Zeke" Rucker was severely injured while vacationing in Cancun, Mexico during last year's Spring Break. The 21-year-old Rutgers University student was found by a security guard at his resort unconscious after suffering a crushing head injury that left him in a coma. Rucker's family believes it was a random act of violence.
8. Davon Green Franklin: In 2010, Davon Green Franklin of Baltimore, Md., died while on his Spring Break vacation in Cancun, Mexico. The Howard University senior drowned while swimming in the ocean. He was heard from on the day of his death, when he posted a message on Twitter that read, "Life Lessons from the ocean water: the waves will pull you out further before they take you back to shore."
9. Kate Russell: In 2009, Montclair State University student Kate Russell died while on Spring Break vacation in the Dominican Republic. The 20-year-old sophomore died in a boating accident and Russell's three friends witnessed the scene. According to their story, the group returned to shore in Punta Cana and got off the small recreational boat, then Russell took off her life jacket and stepped into one-to-two feet of water and when she laid her head back she went into convulsions. A bystander administered CPR, but Russell could not be revived.
10. Julia Sumnicht: In 2010, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student Julia Sumnicht of Green Bay, Wisconsin, died in her sleep while vacationing with friends in Miami during Spring Break. The 21-year-old student reportedly fell asleep and didn't wake up.

Special Contributor: Tim Handorf at Best Online Colleges

Be an educated parent, pass this list on to your college student!

Do you know someone that effected by a spring break tragedy?  Please share it in the comments below.  The more awareness there is, hopefully the more careful teens will be.