The death of a man in the sea off Spotts on Sunday brings to eight the number of people who have died in Cayman’s waters during the past two months.
A 56-year-old visitor was brought to shore by a member of the public who spotted him floating unconscious from the Spotts Public Beach Sunday, 19 February.
The victim is the fourth tourist and the eighth person to die in Cayman’s waters since December.
A day earlier, a 4-year old boy died in a brackish pond in the Northward area near Bodden Town. Aidan Cupid, along with his older sister and a group of other children, had walked through the neighbourhood to an undeveloped section containing several high dirt mounds and a small brackish water pond. The child fell or jumped in the water and his body was later recovered by emergency services’ dive crews.
On Wednesday, 15 February, a 56-year-old male cruise ship passenger was found in the Coral Gardens area of North Sound near Stingray City. People on a boat travelling nearby came upon the unconscious and unresponsive man in the water, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
On Friday, 3 February, another tourist – a 47-year-old American woman – died while diving at the Little Tunnel Dive off North West Point in West Bay. Police said she appeared to get into difficulty as she ascended and lost consciousness upon surfacing.
On 22 December, a 62-year-old male American tourist died after becoming ill while swimming at Smith Cove in George Town. He had been swimming with his wife about 50 yards from shore when he got into difficulty. His wife helped him from the water but he lost consciousness on shore and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
On 23 January, a 68-year-old local resident died while returning to shore on a boat following a dive. Police said he lost consciousness on a private boat as it made its way to the Lobster Pot dock in George Town.
The waters below the Pedro Castle cliffs claimed the lives of two young men. On New Year’s Day, 21-year-old Adam Rankine died after jumping from the cliffs just days after 17-year-old Justin Henry met the same fate.
A fence and signs warning people not to cliff jump from the site have since been erected.
The victim is the fourth tourist and the eighth person to die in Cayman’s waters since December.
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Obviously these accidents are tragic but water sports activities for people unused to physical exertion can be a risk. Given the number of people arriving here I am surprised the number is not higher.