Elderly American man drowns in Carriacou while kayaking

Grenada: An elderly American national reportedly died while Kayaking off Jackadam Island in the sister island of Carriacou on Monday morning. This incident marks the first incident of the year occurred on the island.  

According to the information, the incident claimed the life of an 80-year-old William ‘Bill’ Campbell who was US citizen living on the island for several years. Campbell, who was once married to the daughter of a former prominent businessman was a well known figure in the community.  

The tragic incident took place on Monday morning at around 11:15 am near the eastern side of Jackadam island, close to the Underwater Sculpture Park, which was commissioned in October 2024.  

The preliminary investigations have revealed that Campbell and another individual were kayaking when a powerful wave struck the victim’s boat, slamming it against a rock and submerging the 80-year-old into the water.  

A crew from the Deefer Dive Underwater Training Team who were reportedly in the are at the time of the incident managed to pull Campbell from the water. Despite persistent efforts to resuscitate him aboard their boat, Campbell showed no signs of recovery following which he was rushed to the Princess Royal Hospital where the medical officers pronounced him dead.  

The man who was in good health and used to go for kayaking every week however the strong wave made it difficult for him to manage his boat, leading to the drowning incident. The authorities also reported that the victim’s boat was found in a tragic condition.  

Meanwhile, the locals have expressed their condolences over the tragic passing of the man. Several of them took to Facebook calling him a ‘good’ man. A user named James said, “So sad. Condolences to his family. He was a nice person,” while another user wrote, “May his soul RIP. Condolences to his family and friends.” “Oh uncle Bill. I am out of words,” said another.