Young Man Loses Life in Peterborg Point Waters as Hazardous Conditions Persist

A search-and-rescue operation ends in tragedy as a 21-year-old dies after cliff-jumping, prompting officials to highlight the risks of strong rip currents and unsafe seas forecasted along the northern coastlines

ST. THOMAS — A young man is dead after a cliff-jumping incident led to tragedy, authorities say. On Monday, the 911 Emergency Call Center received a report of someone in distress in the waters off Peterborg Point. The caller reported there was a man in the water struggling to stay afloat, and he did not have a flotation device, according to V.I. Police Department Director of Communications Glen Dratte. A multi-agency response was immediately initiated, with personnel from the United States Coast Guard, the Virgin Islands Police Department, and St. Thomas Rescue conducting a joint search of the area.

Ultimately, it was a VIPD patrol vessel which located the 21-year old man approximately ¾ of a mile from Peterborg Point. Lifesaving measures, initiated as soon as he was pulled from the water and continued by emergency medical technicians onshore, proved unsuccessful. The tragic incident prompted St. Thomas Rescue Public Information Officer Chris Watson to remind the public to “use extreme caution around water during periods of bad weather,” and to avoid the Peterborg Point area, “which is historically synonymous with incidents like this.” The incident follows warnings from the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, warning of unfavorable marine conditions through at least Tuesday afternoon.