John McCarthy
CRUZ BAY — A tourist from Massachusetts with a pre-existing heart condition drowned while snorkeling in St. John on Sunday, authorities said.
The victim, Chris Finn, 57, of Boston, was snorkeling near Trunk Cay with his adult son at about 12:23 p.m. when he began struggling to swim, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The son and bystanders helped Finn to shore on a longboard, where he was transported to Myrah Keating Clinic by ambulance, according to the VIPD.
Officers contacted Emergency Medical Services when they got to the scene and EMTs attempted to resuscitate Finn while traveling to the clinic in the ambulance, police said.
The white male victim was pronounced dead at 1:49 p.m. by the medical attendant on duty at the Myrah Keating Clinic.
“The son of the deceased stated that he observed his father struggling to swim while
snorkeling near the small island off Trunk Bay,” VIPD Communications Director Glen Dratte said. “Upon his observation, he and others in the water assisted his father to shore on a long board.”
An autopsy will be performed on Finn to determine the exact cause of death.
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