Bidensky Termidor PHOTO BY MARTINA'S PHOTOGRAPHY

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — He was the oldest son, focused on a dream of attending college on an academic scholarship in the fall.

But instead of a graduation, the family of Bidensky Termidor is planning a heartbreaking goodbye after losing the honor roll student and triple athlete at St. Edward’s School in a tragic accident last Friday.

“His parents and siblings are really devastated,” said Termidor’s older cousin, Kenberly Romulus, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia. “We can’t fathom how life is going to be without him. This has been very difficult for the Termidor family.”

Bidensky Termidor
PHOTO PROVIDED BY TERMIDOR FAMILY

Termidor, who went by the nickname “B.T.,” was just three weeks shy of his 18th birthday, Romulus said. School officials said the Vero Beach teenager made an impact in the classroom as well as on the court playing as a point guard for St. Ed’s basketball team.

Termidor earned an academic scholarship to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and had 14 different college offers. The teenager made his relatives proud with him being one of the first boys in the family to attend college, Romulus said.

“He was smart, very sweet, respectful and loved by many,” Romulus said. “He was fun, lovable, and had an infectious laugh. He made anyone around him smile.”

Termidor died after he and his senior class jumped off a school dock into the Indian River Lagoon, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. It was an annual school tradition celebrating their upcoming May 22 graduation.

The tradition turned into tragedy when the students realized Termidor was missing. Termidor was submerged under the surface for at least 10 minutes, a sheriff’s incident report showed.

The students frantically searched the 10-foot deep water for Termidor.

The seniors found Termidor, pulled him from the lagoon and tried to revive him before first responders arrived, deputies said. Indian River County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Kyle Kofke said Termidor went into cardiac arrest.

Fire crews took Termidor to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. The sheriff’s office was investigating the incident.

Termidor’s classmates created a GoFundMe page on Sunday to help raise money for his funeral expenses. As of Monday evening, the fundraiser garnered more than $47,000.

Funeral plans and memorial services for Termidor have not yet been set.

Crossover Mission’s positive impact on ‘B.T.’

Termidor’s father planned to surprise his son on graduation day with a newly-purchased car, Romulus said. The Termidor family, who are originally from Haiti, were anticipating watching their son walk across the stage among the graduating class of 53 seniors.

Termidor previously attended Vero Beach High School before he transferred to St. Ed’s his junior year, officials said. At St. Ed’s, a private educational institution, the teenager played basketball, football and soccer.

Bidensky Termidor
PHOTO PROVIDED BY TERMIDOR FAMILY

Romulus said Termidor was one of the first student athletes to join Crossover Mission, a nonprofit that provides year-round basketball training and one-on-one academic mentoring for the youth. Romulus said Crossover Mission played a positive role on Termidor’s academics.

“His coach and mentor Antoine Jennings took him in as his own son,” Romulus said. “Crossover Mission played a huge part in who (Termidor) was. His grades boosted dramatically.”

In a Facebook post, Jennings said Termidor’s death was a tough loss for him and the Crossover Mission family.

“We lost a real one. B.T. you know I loved you like my own son,” Jennings said in the post. “Lost for words man. Prayers up for the Termidor/Charles family.”

Termidor recently participated in Crossover Mission’s March Madness-themed fundraiser, which aimed to raise money for the competitive travel basketball teams. Crossover Mission officials described Termidor’s death as a “terrible loss.”

“All of us at Crossover Mission mourn the loss of one of our founding student athletes, a rising star who would be graduating high school this weekend with honors and was perched to fly into his future on an academic scholarship at the University of North Florida,” Crossover Mission officials said in a Facebook post. “He invested so much life and spirit into achieving this goal. We love Bidensky dearly. Many tears are flowing.”

Who was ‘B.T.’?

He loved to dance. He loved sports. He loved having fun with his friends, Romulus said of Termidor.

Romulus said Termidor bonded with his football teammates at St. Ed’s, creating a brotherhood. He also spent a lot of time with his friends at Crossover Mission.

Romulus said Termidor loved Haitian food. Some of his favorite dishes were rice and beans with Salade Russe, or salad topped with beets and vegetables; and Fritay, which has fried plantains, pikliz, fried okra and fried goat.

Romulus said she will remember Termidor as talented, kind and a very loving young man who was well known in Vero Beach.

“He had his whole life ahead of him. Words can’t describe how heartbroken we are by the loss of B.T,” Romulus said.

“I’m asking everyone to please pray for my family, especially my aunt and uncle who lost their firstborn son and are completely inconsolable. The depth of this pain is an agony like no other. Rest in peace Bidensky Termidor (B.T.).”

Photos by Kaila Jones