Rock Bridge senior Stuart Eiken remembered by friends, teammates, students

COLUMBIA — Skyler Hinton, a senior at Rock Bridge High School, moved to Columbia in the fifth grade and found a close friend.

He lost that friend Saturday when Stuart Eiken died at the age of 17. Hinton met Eiken when the two played in the Columbia Youth Football League together where they posted a 32-1-1 record.

“Me and him have been best buds since fifth grade,” Hinton said. “We just had a lot of fun together. People who knew him, they would always say the same thing. He would always brighten up your day. You always saw him smiling. With him, there was never a dull moment.”

Eiken’s body was found hanging from a water pumping station on Burr Oak Road South at roughly 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning by a motorist.