BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AN autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death of a tourist who was found unresponsive in the water near Shitten Bay while on vacation.
According to police reports, on February 1, 2025, the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) received a report from the St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force Coast Guard regarding a suspected drowning at Shitten Bay.
The incident occurred between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Investigations revealed that 81-year-old John Edward Jeffrey, a cruise tourist from London, England, had disembarked from the cruise vessel Iona and was snorkeling when he was observed to be motionless in the water.
Police stated that he was quickly brought aboard the snorkeling tour vessel, but all attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He was transported to the Coast Guard pier, where he was pronounced dead.
This marks the third reported case of a suspected tourist drowning in recent weeks.
On December 17, 2024, Gemma Manegable, a passenger aboard the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship, was found unresponsive in the water at Carambola Beach Club in South Friar’s Bay.
Two days later, on December 19, Vivien-Ann Hammond, who arrived on the Spirit of Adventure Saga cruise ship, collapsed shortly after swimming at Cockleshell Beach.
