Global Affairs confirms Canadian man dead in Antigua and Barbuda following reports of tourist drowning

The Devil's Bridge is pictured in this image shared by the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force. (Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force)

Global Affairs confirmed Sunday that a Canadian has died in Antigua and Barbuda following local reports that a tourist fell off a natural rock formation called Devil’s Bridge.

The Caribbean nation's armed forces said in a media release on Saturday that their coast guard had received a 911 call shortly before 7 a.m. reporting that a tourist had fallen off of the Devil’s Bridge, which is a limestone rock arch located on the east coast of Antigua.

“Another call was received shortly after indicating the tourist has a laceration on forehead and was unresponsive,” Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) wrote in the release.

A vessel was deployed to the area to perform search and rescue, and a person was found face down around 30 metres away from the rock formation. They were retrieved and taken to the Coast Guard Base.

The person, described as a “Caucasian male in his late sixties” by the ABDF release, was pronounced dead shortly before 9 a.m.

“We are aware of a Canadian who passed in Antigua and Barbuda and are in contact with local authorities to obtain additional information,” Global Affairs told CTVNews.ca on Sunday in an emailed statement.

“Consular officials stand ready to provide assistance to the family. Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.”

The Antigua Observer, a local media outlet, is reporting that the man was 68 years old and had been vacationing with family.

The ABDF Coast Guard noted in their press release that the local community and visitors should take care when navigating potentially dangerous areas of the island, “and should always take safety measures as a priority when utilizing the beaches and other sites near the marine environment.”