Netflix's Boots revealed the circumstances that led to Ochoa's death in Episode 5. Eduardo Ochoa (Johnathan Nieves) is a nervous yet devoted private who became Cameron Cope's bunkmate in Boots, with the pair developing a strong friendship throughout the series. Ochoa was later revealed to be married to Gloria, whom he wholeheartedly loves despite their distance apart. All he ever wanted was to make Gloria proud, but things took a dark turn in the fifth episode of the Netflix series.
Episode 5 pushed Ochoa to the forefront after he admitted to Cope that he had conflicting feelings about killing despite joining the Marines. The installment also proved that Ochoa is a natural marksman, and this latent talent earned him a phone call with Gloria that forever changed his trajectory in Boots.
Based on The Pink Marine, a memoir written by former US Marine Greg Cope White, Boots is a comedy-drama series that follows the coming-of-age story of a closeted Cameron Cope and his best friend Ray McAffey as they join the unpredictable boot camp of the US Marines. The series stars Miles Heizer, Liam Oh, The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga, Max Parker, Ana Ayora, and Dominic Goodman. Boots premiered on Netflix on October 9, 2025.
How Did Ochoa Actually Die In Boots Netflix?
Boots Episode 5 revealed that Ochoa was crying because of the pain he felt in his chest. Cope asked him if he was okay and if he should go to the medical bay, but Ochoa downplayed his sickness by saying that the pain always goes away. This decision was crucial for Ochoa because he would've suffered a grim fate if he had just let the doctors know about his ailing heart condition.
Ochoa later proved himself at the shooting range by becoming the top marksman of the boot camp, earning 242 points and besting everyone in his group. His win earned him a phone call, which he used to call his wife, Gloria. He later learned that she was cheating on him when a guy answered the telephone instead.
A frustrated Ochoa started acting out at his drill sergeant, Howitt. This led to Howitt punishing Ochoa by making him do push-ups and other forms of exercise. Howitt further pushed him, calling him a "worthless piece of sh*t." It was unfortunate that Howitt was unaware of Ochoa's mental and emotional condition because he would've stopped if he knew what Ochoa learned about his wife.
Howitt's punishment, combined with Ochoa's unhinged attitude and reckless act of pushing himself, led to Ochoa's death in Boots Episode 5 because he suddenly collapsed to the floor in the middle of the routine.
While Howitt tried to do CPR to save his life, it was clear that Ochoa's heart failed. In Boots Episode 6, Sergeant McKinnon later confirmed that Ochoa died due to a "preexisting heart condition" that he did not disclose to the Corps.
Ochoa's death was both tragic and shocking because his immense loyalty and love for his wife completely broke him after learning of Gloria's betrayal. What made it even more heartbreaking is that he didn't have a proper goodbye to his squad mates, whom he treated as family in the first few weeks of boot camp.
Is Ochoa Based on a Real-Life Person?
Given that Ochoa was Cameron Cope's bunkmate in Boots, the character is seemingly based on Greg Cope White's real-life bunkmate: Pritchett. According to The Pink Marine, Pritchett enlisted in the Marines to obtain the veterans' benefits, mainly because he had a family to look after.
Similar to Ochoa, Pritchett had an intense love for his wife, which made him nervous because he would always expect a letter from her while in the boot camp. Ochoa also exhibited the same marksmanship skills as his real-life counterpart, Pritchett.
While Ochoa died in Boots Episode 5, it was only done in the Netflix series for dramatic purposes since the memoir confirmed that Pritchett didn't die. Instead, he almost hung himself when he learned that his wife didn't send him any letters, but it was later revealed that Santoro (the Sergeant whom Sullivan is based on) was only joking and gave him his wife's letter eventually.
The Pink Marine didn't divulge any personal details involving Pritchett aside from the fact that he was Cope's bunkmate and part of the platoon.
