Canadian tourist drowns after boat capsizes off Negril

A tragic afternoon at a popular Negril resort ended in death yesterday after a Canadian tourist reportedly drowned when a sailboat he was travelling on was struck by a powerful wave and capsized off the coast.

The deceased has been identified as 68-year-old Jean D'Amour of Formula Court, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada.

Reports are that about 1:30 p.m. on Monday, January 20, D'Amour, a guest at the Riu Club Hotel on Norman Manley Boulevard in Negril, was a passenger on a sailboat when it was hit by a large wave, causing the vessel to overturn. He and another occupant were thrown into the water during the incident.

One of the occupants was rescued and taken to safety, while D'Amour reportedly drowned. He was later taken to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police say investigations are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident, including the condition of the vessel and the sea conditions at the time.

The Tourism Liaison Office and the Non-Geographic Investigations Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force are investigating the matter.

- Rasbert Turner, Andre Williams

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