By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER
Published: 10:29 EDT, 29 October 2025 | Updated: 10:31 EDT, 29 October 2025
An aspiring NFL referee, who became the third person to die at a Disney resort, shared a tragic final post about his new career before plummeting to his death from his hotel balcony.
Matthew Cohn, 28, gushed over his career prospects as a football referee and his dreams of working for the NFL just months before his tragic death on Thursday.
Cohn succumbed to multiple traumatic injuries after he jumped from the balcony of the Contemporary Resort hotel in Orlando, Florida, according to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office.
His death marked the third at a Disney resort in the last two weeks after a woman died by suicide at the same hotel, while another man passed following a medical episode at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.
Heartbreaking posts from last year show Cohn's excitement for his career aspirations, including one on Instagram in September 2024 where he posed on a football field while working as a referee.
He captioned the picture, 'Big-time players, make big-time plays,' The US Sun reported.
But his account, which has since become private, became inactive in the months leading up to his untimely death.
Another account associated with Cohn documented his time living in Los Angeles, with the account's last post in Joshua Tree, California, finding him rock climbing and hiking in the desert.
Matthew Cohn, 28, gushed over his career prospects as a football referee and his dreams of working for the NFL before his tragic death at Disney's on Thursday
Heartbreaking posts from last year show Cohn's excitement for his career aspirations, including one in September 2024 where he posed on a football field while working as a referee
Cohn succumbed to multiple traumatic injuries after he jumped from the balcony of the Contemporary Resort hotel in Orlando, Florida
'Dunked on the desert this past weekend. Joshua Tree Rocks!' he captioned the post.
In May 2024, Cohn announced he had accepted an offer to officiate Division II College Football teams in the Mid-South Conference, according to the outlet.
Cohn had reportedly been living in Winter Garden, Florida, when he died, a suburban city outside of Orlando.
He had checked into the Disney resort hotel and paid cash for the room before jumping from the 12th floor, the Sun reported.
Guests staying at the resort were alerted when Cohn was rushed to hospital, as officials said there were no signs of foul play.
Cohn's longtime friend wrote on Facebook that he was 'deeply saddened by the loss.'
'We were friends for most of my life and though we didn't always stay in touch, he made sure to open his doors and give me a place to rest when I was on the Pacific Crest Trail just a couple years ago,' he added.
The friend urged others to 'check on your pals despite how busy you are,' as he shared an old photo of the pair at a Dave Matthews concert in West Palm in 2017.
Cohn is seen with his younger brother Michael Cohn, 26
Cohn was said to have loved Macklemore, football and lacrosse, and had a passion for sport that was 'contagious'
Cohn's death marked the third at a Disney resort in the last two weeks after a woman died by suicide at the same hotel, while another man passed following a medical episode at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
Another commented that Cohn 'was truly a special person and such a great friend.'
'He'd randomly call just to check in on my life, and we'd end up catching up for hours - something even my closest friends haven't done in years. He was so kind, thoughtful and full of love,' they wrote.
Cohn was said to have loved Macklemore, football and lacrosse, and had a passion for sport that was 'contagious.'
'Matt was such a great person and always had the warmest smile in middle/high school. I feel like he was everyone’s friend in high school,' another said.
'I hate that life has passed us by and we hardly ever reached out after high school but he will forever be in my memories for being the Gator’s biggest fan and an amazing guy.'
Cohn marked the second death at the Disney resort in recent weeks, after 31-year-old Summer Equitz died by suicide on October 14.
Equitz, who had only given birth to a baby girl earlier this year, was believed to have been suffering from postpartum depression.
In a Reddit post before her death, a family member urged anyone who saw her at the Disney park to call the authorities.
Summer Equitz, 31, died by suicide in the same hotel as Cohn on October 14
Equitz, who had only given birth to a baby girl earlier this year, was believed to have been suffering from postpartum depression
The post added that she had booked the trip to Florida from her home in Naperville, Illinois, without telling any family members.
Equitz's LinkedIn profile revealed that she had worked as a nanny before her death and previously been employed by Disneyland Resort in California as a character performer and entertainment host from 2012 to 2015.
She and her husband, Nico Danilovich, had celebrated their honeymoon at Disneyworld last October.
A spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office dismissed online rumors that Equitz had been struck by the Contemporary Resort's iconic monorail train at the time of her death.
Another man in his 60s, who was not named, also died this month after he was rushed to hospital experiencing a medical episode.
He had reportedly been staying at the resort with his wife, who found him unconscious in bed in their hotel room.
The man died in hospital at 8.26am on October 21. According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, there were no signs of foul play associated with his death.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Disney World for comment.
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