A 20-year-old Florida International University student who had been reported missing over the weekend was found dead in his submerged vehicle in southwest Miami-Dade Monday.
Nick Diaz, 20, had been reported missing Sunday. His family said he was last seen at around 1:30 a.m. leaving a party in South Miami in his white Kia.
Diaz had called to say he was on his way home, his family said, but after a few hours, they hadn't heard from him and reported him missing.
His close friend said people had offered to give Diaz a ride home from the party Sunday morning but he left on his own.
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"They were on his way to pick him up and supposedly the host that he was staying with an hour before said that he left. So he had left around 1:30 a.m.," the friend said. "The last communication we had with him was when he called his mother to say he was on his way."
South Miami Police had released a flyer seeking Diaz's whereabouts and saying he never made it to his home in Hialeah.
While NBC6 sister station Telemundo 51 was interviewing his family Monday night, they received the tragic news that Diaz was found dead.
Local
Florida Highway Patrol troopers found his body after 6:15 p.m. in his car, which was found submerged in a retention pond off Southwest 8th Street and the Florida's Turnpike.
Officials said it appeared his car had failed to negotiate the contour of the roadway and traveled into the retention pond.
Diaz was studying engineering at Florida International University and was six months away from graduating. He was described as smart and dedicated to his family and friends.
