From RCIPS May 27, 2013 12:12:03 AM CDT

#1 On Saturday 25^th  May 2013 around 4: 25 pm, 911 received a report that a male had been pulled from the water unconscious in the vicinity of the Avalon Condominiums on the Seven Mile Beach. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene. The victim was  transported to the George Town hospital where he was pronounced dead around 5:07 pm. The victim was a  41 year old member of the Uruguay Special Olympic team who was in  the Cayman Islands  to participate in the Butterfield 800 meter swim. The man who died has been named as Pablo Jose Perez larza.

 

#2 On Sunday 26^th  May 2013 around 4:15 pm , 911 received a report that a 64 year old male had been missing for 25 minutes off Rum Point Drive. Due to the weather conditions the Marine Unit was unable to be  assist In the rescue, as a result the Police Helicopter was deployed. The victim was located by the Helicopter personnel  and brought ashore with the assistance of the Police and his relatives, where they commenced CPR until the arrival of the EMT  unit. He was subsequently transported to the George Town Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:40 pm

The victim was an American tourist who had arrived in Cayman on the 25 /5/13. He has now been named as Joseph Edward Johnson of Flagstaff, Arizona.

UPDATED May 27, 2013 10:44:40 AM CDT

Water related death – Rum Point area – further information

• When the initial report was received that a man was missing – marine, air and land based resources were immediately deployed.  The police helicopter was the first unit to arrive at the location – some four minutes after the report.

• The helicopter crew spotted the missing man on the reef in the Driftwood area, approximately 50 yards from shore. Marine and land based resources were a short distance away.  However, due to the urgency of the situation, the helicopter crew made the tactical decision to hover deplane one of their tactical flight officers onto the shore.  The helicopter hovered about 3 feet from the beach and the officer alighted. Together with two of the missing man’s friends, he made out into the water to bring the casualty back to shore. The wave height at the time was around 2-3 feet and crashing across the reef.

• In the meantime, the helicopter had landed nearby and  the second tactical flight officer attended the beach with the helicopter medical equipment and the AED. CPR was carried out on the man until the arrival of the EMT unit a few minutes later.

The RCIPS announced the names on May 27th at 4:48 and also said Post Mortem examinations will be held in due course.