A 64-year-old woman from Florida drowned while snorkeling near Waterlemon Cay in the V.I. National Park on Saturday, May 19, according to information from V.I. Police Department officials.
The incident was reported at 1:59 p.m., according to the VIPD’s Leander Jurgen Command incident log. The woman, a resident of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, had been snorkeling in the Leinster Bay area with three other people, according to information from the VIPD.
The companions had left the water, but continued to watch the woman snorkel, according to VIPD officials.
“When the victim seemed to be in distress her companions went to her assistance by using a dinghy,” according to a prepared statement from VIPD.
The friends called 911 prompting response from St. John EMTs, V.I. Fire Department officials and VINP Rangers, according to information from VIPD.
“CPR was administered to the victim,” according to the VIPD’s prepared statement.
The victim was transported to Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center where she was pronounced dead at 4:15 p.m. that day.
The group of companions had been staying aboard the private vessel Stella Maris and had only been in the U.S. Virgin Islands for five hours when the woman drowned, according to VIPD’s preliminary reports.
