BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Wednesday 18th September 2019) – Local authorities have revealed what caused the recent deaths of an American tourist and a local while at the beach following autopsies conducted showing the same results.
In the Saddlers area on the morning of Saturday 7th September, a 23-year-old resident, Marcus Rubaine, was pronounced dead shortly after being removed from the water after a diving incident.
Autopsy results conclude that death was as a result of asphyxia due to drowning.
Police say enquiries revealed that Rubaine and one other person went diving at Lavington Bay at about 7 a.m, and that sometime later, he experienced difficulty at sea and drowned.
His body was removed from the water by a civilian, brought to the shore and the Emergency Medical Services was summoned. He was pronounced dead by the District Medical Officer.
Five days after on Thursday 12th September, police responded to a report- received at about 11 a.m- of a drowning that occurred at a beach at the South East Peninsula involving a 72-year-old male tourist.
Enquiries revealed that Gregory Dean Vematsu of California, U.S.A went snorkelling with his wife at Banana Beach when he experienced difficulty at sea and drowned.
The District Medical Doctor arrived at the scene and pronounced him dead.
An autopsy carried out revealed that death was also as a result of asphyxia due to drowning.
Both autopsies were performed on Friday 13th September by Resident Pathologist Dr. Adrian Nunez.