Saint Lucia: Elderly American tourist drowns while snorkelling in Soufrière

Saint Lucia: An elderly American tourist reportedly died while snorkelling at Anse Chastanet Beach in Soufrière, Saint Lucia on Tuesday. Eyewitnesses said that the victim facing difficulties while snorkelling in the water following which they immediately took him out and began to administer CPR before calling emergency services. 

The deceased has been identified as an 83-year-old resident of North Carolina, United States named Andrew Allen.  

The victim was transferred to an ambulance where CPR and pre-hospital interventions took place while he was being rushed to a medical facility for proper treatment.  

Through a press release on Wednesday, the police confirmed that emergency personnel attempted to help Allen at the scene before taking him to the nearby hospital, however, he later succumbed at the hospital.  

According to the medical professionals, there was a lot of water inside the lungs which made it very difficult for him to breathe, causing him to collapse.  

Meanwhile, the police said that they are continuing investigations into the suspected drowning. On the other hand, the locals are urging the government to place some lifeguards on the beach to avoid such incidents with the tourists.  

A local named Cecilia Francis took to Facebook and said, “St Lucia placed some lifeguards and warning flags at the beaches please,” while another said, “Very sad. It happened right in front of me.”