The teenage boy who tragically fell to his death during Schoolies week on the Gold Coast has been identified as Charlie Scott.
The 18-year-old Victorian man was celebrating the end of school with friends when he fell from a balcony of the high-rise Hilton Hotel early on Friday morning.
Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious and was a ‘self-harm incident’.
Charlie Scott (pictured) was a keen sportsman and described by friends as ‘one of the best blokes you’ll ever meet’. He had just finished school and was celebrating with friends.
Charlie fell to his death around 2.30am, landing in a food court adjoining the hotel.
A group of mates who went to Parade College in Melbourne with Charlie – and were holidaying nearby – arrived at the scene of his death to lay flowers.
As they hugged each other and wiped away tears, the friends said they couldn’t believe their mate was gone.
‘It’s really sad, none of us can believe it, he was such a great guy,’ the school friend said.
Charlie Scott’s devastated friends (pictured) console one another as they lay flowers at the scene, hours after he fell to his death from the Hilton hotel in Surfers Paradise
‘We weren’t out with him last night, so we are in a bit of shock about what has happened.’
Police said Charlie’s family had been informed of his tragic death.
A friend of Charlie Scott wipes away a tear as he arrives to lay flowers where the teenager died in the early hours of this morning after falling from a hotel balcony
More friends continued to pay tribute on social media.
‘One of the best blokes you will ever meet’ and said he was ‘hardworking’ and ‘always smiling,’ a friend wrote.
Another wrote: ‘Such a sweet, kind-hearted guy, taken away way too soon, you will be dearly missed.’
A devastated friends of Charlie Scott hugs a security guard near where the teenager died
Traumatised students have been leaving floral tributes outside the Asian food court where the 18-year-old plunged to his death.
The teenager is thought to have fallen from the balcony after making a disturbing post on social media.
Horrified eyewitnesses said the screams of Schoolies ‘could be heard from blocks away’ as they rushed to help a friend who had fallen from a high rise hotel room.
An eyewitness told Daily Mail Australia he heard a loud bang while he was waiting for a taxi, which he later discovered was the sound of the teenager plunging to his death.
The unnamed 18-year-old is believed to have plunged from a balcony of the Hilton’s Orchid Tower (pictured, left) in Surfers Paradise
‘I was a street away waiting for a taxi and heard a really loud bang,’ Johnson Muir said.
‘I thought somebody had just thrown something off the balcony but then I heard the screams.
‘By the time I walked around the corner police were already on the scene and holding the kids back.
‘One girl was bawling her eyes out screaming ‘I could’ve helped him and now he’s dead, he’s dead’.’
Witness Johnson Muir (pictured) said he heard a ‘loud bang’ before seeing a hysterical young girl crying ‘I could’ve helped him and now he’s dead, he’s dead.’
Police inspect the Asian food court where the Victorian teenager plunged to his death infront of horrified onlookers
Police said the teenager made concerning posts on social media in the minutes before he fell, and they are not treating the death as suspicious.
Forensic officers remain at the scene on Friday and have cordoned off a food court below the hotel.
Devastated teens brought bouquets of flowers to the street outside the Asian food court where he plunged to his death.
One touching message read: ‘Rest easy brother. Lots of love.’
Chop Chop Asian food court (pictured) where the teenager’s body was found after falling from a high-rise balcony.
Charlie was visiting Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast to celebrate Schoolies.
It is believed he was on the balcony of a holiday rental apartment, which sit in the top floors of the Orchid Tower.
High-level apartments with open balconies can be booked for as little as $167 a night.
The father of tragic Hamish Bidgood, who died last year, had called on hotels to block off balcony access to Schoolies revelers after his own son plunged 11 floors.
Officials said counselors will available in Surfers Paradise today to comfort grief-stricken friends and witnesses.
A spokeswoman for Hilton confirmed the teenager was a guest of the hotel.
She told Daily Mail Australia: ‘It is with deep regret that we confirm a guest at the private residences located at Hilton Surfers Paradise has passed away. We offer our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones at this difficult time.’
It is the latest in a string of tragic deaths during Schoolies.
Last November, NSW teenager Hamish Bidgood, 18, fell to his death from the 11th floor of a Surfers Paradise high-rise.
His father said he had hallucinated after inhaling nitrous oxides gas, known as ‘nangs’.
The grieving father of Hamish Bidgood (left) who fell to his death from a balcony during Schoolie’s celebrations, has said his son was hallucinating when he threw himself off the Gold Coast apartment building
His father Des Bidgood even predicted that Hamish would not be the last tragedy to occur during Schoolies on the Gold Coast.
He said: ‘Hamish is not the first and won’t be the last … the gas canisters they inhale for fun should be banned; shop keepers, anyone who sells them on the internet, should be prosecuted if caught selling them.
‘This happens all too often. My son died not knowing what he was doing and now … we have to live with that. He was a good, kind kid. People loved Hamish.
‘He was having fun, he had it all ahead of him … We’ve lost him now.’
Mr Bidgood called for apartment blocks rented out to students over the Schoolies week to block off balcony access so that young revelers couldn’t access them.
Des Bidgood revealed his son Hamish (centre) had been drinking and inhaling nitrous oxide for hours before his death in 2018 and has called for the potentially lethal gas to be banned
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