Memorial Gatherings Set For Teen Who Died After Brick Party

BRICK, NJ — On Wednesday evening, and again on Sunday, friends and family will gather to pay their respects to Austin Siler, the 19-year-old who died Friday following a party in Brick Township.

But even as his family prepares to say goodbye, they are left with far more questions than answers about what happened to the young man in the early hours of Aug. 4.

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office has released few details about the investigation. A brief statement issued by Al Della Fave, the spokesman for the prosecutor's office, on Tuesday said Siler, a former Brick Township resident, was pronounced dead at Ocean Medical Center, Brick, at 8:21 a.m. on Friday. He had been brought to the emergency room by friends, Della Fave said, and though hospital staff attempted life-saving procedures on Siler, they were unsuccessful.

The determination on cause of death is pending a final report from the medical examiner's office that is awaiting full toxicology results, Della Fave said.

Jenny Siler, Austin's mother, said she has been told that will be a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks.

>> READ MORE: Teen's Death After Brick Party Under Investigation

An impromptu memorial gathering has been scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Dragons' football field, she announced in a public post on Facebook, to allow friends and family in New Jersey to say their goodbyes to a young man who was headed to the police academy with the goal of eventually helping to fight the heroin epidemic and help save the lives of those addicted. The gathering, set for 8 p.m., is at the Dragons' youth football complex at Drum Point Sports Complex.

On Sunday, in Beavercreek, Ohio, near where the Silers have lived since 2015, family and friends there will gather for another memorial service.

"Please join our family as we stay humble and count our blessings," Jenny Siler wrote, sharing a photo of a tattoo with that phrase that Austin had gotten on his left forearm. "On Sunday do not mourn over his death. For he is not dead. We may not see him but he is here EVERYDAY with us."

Austin Siler and his family had lived in Brick for nine years, and he had come to back last week to attend the funeral of a former football coach and visit friends and family, Jenny Siler said.

She last spoke to her son Thursday evening, while Austin and some friends were having dinner at TGI Friday's, she said in an interview Tuesday. But the details on what happened between that phone call and the one she received at 8:33 a.m. Friday telling her that Austin had died still remain somewhat unclear.

Friends of Austin have told her there was a party, and between information provided by friends and posting to social media, she has been able to determine that Austin arrived about midnight. Alcohol was consumed, and about 3 a.m. Austin was vomiting, Jenny Siler has said. Details of what happened between the time Austin began vomiting and roughly 8 a.m., when his friends took him to the hospital, are still not entirely clear, however. How many people were present at the party was unknown.

Brick Township police, the Ocean County Sheriff's Department and Detective John Carroll from the prosecutor's office are investigating, Della Fave said. He said there was no evidence of any criminal activity, but could not comment further.

A GoFundme started to raise funds to help the Jenny and Shane Siler with the costs of transporting Austin's body back to Ohio, as well as the funeral costs and other expenses, had raised $7,500 as of Wednesday afternoon (click here to contribute).

The heartbroken family, including Austin's twin sister Taylor and younger brother, Andrew, 16, will head home without answers while they remember a son and brother who was well-regarded and had many friends.

"Austin was a wonderful young man. Kind, considerate, loved his family," his grandmother, Debra, wrote on the GoFundme site. "Especially loved his Father, there was a special bond there & lovely to see. He also had that special bond with his Mother & Twin Sister & Little Brother."

"As his grandmother I couldn't have asked for a lovelier first grandson," she wrote. "I loved him dearly. We would like to thank all who have contributed & who does here after for all your doing for this heartbroken & loving family."

Photo via GoFundme