Romantic getaway turns into tragedy when 21-year-old Marine dies in Asheville

By Taylor Thompson

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — What was supposed to be a Valentine’s Day getaway for a U.S. Marine and his girlfriend turned into shock, sorrow and devastation.

Cody Brand, 21, fell while riding a skateboard on Feb. 13.

Gayle Brand received a call from her son’s phone that day, but it wasn’t him on the line. It was Brand’s girlfriend calling to tell his mom there had been an accident.

“She explained that he was skateboarding down a hill and he lost control of his board and hit his head and that he was unconscious and unresponsive,” Gayle Brand said.

She tried to ask paramedics questions through the speakerphone.

“One of the questions that I asked is, ‘On a scale of 1 to 10 how bad is it,’ and he couldn’t answer me,” Gayle Brand said.

Paramedics restored Cody’s pulse at the scene and transported him to Mission Hospital.

In the meantime, Gayle Brand and her family, who live in Palm Beach, Florida, jumped in the car and headed to Asheville.

While on the way, Gayle received a call from the doctors who explained that Cody’s injury wasn’t survivable.

Gayle said she was told the type of injury Cody received was the most severe type of brain injury a person can get.

It was unimaginable news.

Gayle said the family had to see for themselves before they could believe what the doctors told them.

After seeing Cody, Gayle said it was horrible to realize she was going to have to let her son go.

Cody Brand was declared dead at 11:17 p.m. on Valentine’s Day.

“He was an organ donor, I’m an organ donor, I believe dad is, as well, so that was important to us. He was a healthy 21-year-old Marine,” Gayle said.

She said Cody was the type of person who always wanted a challenge, which is what led him to join the Marines.

“This was just really devastating for everyone,” Gayle said.

She described Cody as a great kid who was headstrong but always laughing. He was adventurous and always determined to figure things out on his own. He enjoyed everything from skateboarding to snorkeling to spearfishing, his mom said.

“Understand my surprise that something he’s been doing for 15, 16 years was his demise,” she said. “I think right now all of us are just really in shock.”

Gayle said Cody was a true southern gentleman and she couldn’t have asked for a better son.

“It’s just so hard to describe him, I think, in part because I haven’t processed him gone yet,” she said.

Gayle said the Marines are helping take Cody home to Florida where he will be laid to rest.

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