University of Alabama at Birmingham anesthesiologist William Thomas O'Byrne III, MD, died Feb. 28, after he was physically assaulted while on vacation in Mexico, Al.com reports.
Here's what you should know.
1. Dr. O'Byrne, 54, was vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with friends earlier in the week. He was assaulted while on vacation, severely beaten and left for dead in a ditch. His friends found him and rushed him to a hospital, before he was flown back to the U.S. on life support. He died Feb. 28.
2. American authorities have yet to confirm what happened to Dr. O'Byrne. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City reported being aware of the case and was gathering information to release to authorities.
3. Dr. O'Byrne practiced at UAB Hospital, where he was also an associate professor.
4. Several colleagues offered remembrances of Dr. O'Byrne's life. Jason Hall, MD, an anesthesiology resident at Durham, N.C.-based Duke University, referred to him as a special man.
"Like he was to so many medical students and residents before me, he was my mentor and friend,'' Dr. Hall said. "He was a gifted physician trained both in medicine and anesthesiology with fellowship training in critical care. He showed kindness and genuine concern for his patients above and beyond that of other physicians."