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UPDATE: Tourist pulled from water @ Beef Island dies

December 6th, 2023 | Tags: tourist hospital difficulties Long Bay Beef Island
The elderly female tourist who was rushed to Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital after encountering difficulties while in the water at Long Bay, Beef Island this morning, Wednesday, December 6, 2023, has passed. Photo: VINO/File
An elderly female tourist has been rushed to Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital after encountering difficulties while in the water at Long Bay, Beef Island this morning, Wednesday, December 6, 2023. Photo: VINO/File
An elderly female tourist has been rushed to Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital after encountering difficulties while in the water at Long Bay, Beef Island this morning, Wednesday, December 6, 2023. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The elderly female tourist who was rushed to Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital after encountering difficulties while in the water at Long Bay, Beef Island this morning, Wednesday, December 6, 2023, has passed.

According to reports reaching our newsroom, the woman was taken from the water just after 9:00 AM, and subsequently transported to hospital.

The name of the tourist has not been released by our sources.

The management and staff of Virgin Islands News Online extend condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

See previous article published December 6, 2023

Tourist rushed to hospital after pulled from water @ Long Bay, Beef Island

LONG BAY, Beef Island, VI- An elderly female tourist has been rushed to Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital after encountering difficulties while in the water at Long Bay, Beef Island this morning, Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

According to reports, the woman was pulled from the water by other persons in the area just after 9:00 AM.

We will provide more details as information comes in.

35 Responses to “UPDATE: Tourist pulled from water @ Beef Island dies”

  • Real Macoy (06/12/2023, 10:45) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    I she survives.
    So sad indeed.
  • Interested (06/12/2023, 11:00) Like (33) Dislike (3) Reply
    Each day the national weather service in San Juan issues rip current notices for PR and the USVI.Who issues such warnings for the BVI ?
    • @Interested (06/12/2023, 12:44) Like (27) Dislike (1) Reply
      Great comment. Where ever tourist visit and there is beach involvement there should be life guards stationed on the beach. Keep playing around thinking it is not important. The thing is you all keep inviting people to visit and their is no proper things in place to protect the visitors. IE. NO LIFEGUARDS ON BEACHES, WHEN WE HAVE VISITORS IN THE TOWN AREA THERE IS NO SECURITY IN THE EVENT ONE OF THE LOONS WALKING AROUND SERIOUSLY ATTACK ONE OR MORE OF THE VISITORS. I was in Mississippi visiting a friend and went to the beach, there were security on ATV’s patroling the beach, life guards and security on the water to make sure the Jet skiers were safe.
      • Citizen (06/12/2023, 15:08) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
        This morning I thought about this problem.
      • @@ Interested (06/12/2023, 16:19) Like (9) Dislike (2) Reply
        Yes true, Biloxi Mississippi. I have family that lives there and visit at least twice a year. A lot of tourist visit Biloxi because of the casinos and the beach. They make sure they have security and life guards to make sure the tourist is safe. This thing about swim at your own risk is dangerous. Get this in check before one of the families slap the BVI and The tourist board with a major lawsuit that the BVI will not be able to recover from. I would agree, The tourist board need to sit down and have a serious meeting concerning this matter and correct the problem before it gets worse. It has to be fixed.
      • @@interested (07/12/2023, 10:20) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
        That’s impractical, unfortunately. Not sure what “ beach involvement “ means but Tourists here are allowed on every beach we are allowed on. You couldn’t have a life guard on them all.
    • Sambo (06/12/2023, 12:59) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
      Um the imaginary forecaster in the BVI does
  • jack (06/12/2023, 12:05) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    Very very sad at one of the best beaches
  • WOW (06/12/2023, 12:11) Like (20) Dislike (5) Reply
    If this is not a wake up call to put life guards on the beaches then I don’t know what else to say. What are you guys waiting on? You are going to wait until one of their families drop a lawsuit on the BVI? Some of you may think I am saying stupidness but you have to provide security for the visitors be it ground and beaches.
    • @wow (06/12/2023, 17:44) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
      Yes absolutely there should be lifeguards on duty for when cruiseship groups are on the beaches, at the very least
    • @wow (06/12/2023, 18:50) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      You are not talking stupidness because I am thinking the same thing. We need to be more proactive instead of reactive.

      Always concerned
    • Foggy (07/12/2023, 10:24) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      We are not the USA. We are a small territory miles from there. They are irrelevant in this matter and their society and infrastructure are completely different. We can have some guards on a few beaches but there’s no legal requirement for our government to have them so why worry about getting sued by Americans? .
  • ... (06/12/2023, 12:20) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    Rip thats unfortunate
  • Lifeguards (06/12/2023, 12:34) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    need to be stationed at all the BVI beaches that cruise ship visitors visit. This lame policy of "swim at your own risk" to exclude the government's liability for visitor's death/injury is harmful to future cruise ship arrivals in the BVI.
  • wake up government (06/12/2023, 12:35) Like (14) Dislike (2) Reply
    This is a very unfortunate situation.

    It's time for our Government to invest in protecting patrons on the beaches (at least the popular ones). We need lifeguards, even if the tourist board pays for these people during the season, we need assistance on the beaches.

    It is also time for us to have handicap ramps on the beaches (at least on Brewers, CGB, and Beef Island). This will assist our seniors in our communities, elderly tourists, and handicapped persons.

    We are passing SAPs for Natlio to travel abroad to boat shows but not to increase the value of our people lives.
    • @Wake up Government (06/12/2023, 17:22) Like (6) Dislike (2) Reply
      They better wake up or they will get woken up. Life guards need to be on the beaches to insure the safety of both visitors and the locals alike. TOURIST BOARD YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS. Stop inviting visitors if the proper measures is not put in place.
      • What? (07/12/2023, 10:28) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
        If you want beach guards for tourists and locals, why should the tourist board pay for them? Don’t forget we are a poor country. Are you happy to pay more tax to cover this?
  • open wide (06/12/2023, 13:37) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hope she goes to heaven
  • thank you (06/12/2023, 13:51) Like (13) Dislike (2) Reply
    You have to protect the visitors that is visiting your Island. Just say the cruise ships stop coming to the Island. Almost every other week a cruise ship passenger is having a beach incident due to the lack of life guards. SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK? The tourist board needs to address this ASAP. SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK, DOUBLE WOW!!!!
  • Liability (06/12/2023, 14:51) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    Long Bay Beef Island is a long way for an ambulance to arrive. Not just government but the tour operators promoting the beach should all join in ensuring EMT/lifeguard care. Is there a defib on hand?
  • Concerned (06/12/2023, 15:10) Like (8) Dislike (7) Reply
    Did anyone know how this women died or what happened to her? I did see anyone say she drown it says she was pull from the water. Can life guard stop a heart attack? We have to get our fact first before we start pointing fingers. We don't know what happen we' weren't there. First we have know what she died from and then make comments afterwards. All the beaches need life guards yes but only 2 it have and they can't be everywhere the same time but it's we find out what happens first and comment afterwards instead of commenting first and finding out afterwards
    • @ concerned (06/12/2023, 18:05) Like (10) Dislike (2) Reply
      So here’s the thing. Since there are only two lifeguards and they can’t be everywhere at the same time then they need to start training and hiring a few more.
  • time (06/12/2023, 15:17) Like (4) Dislike (10) Reply
    Life guard or not when God calls you life guard can't stop his timing. May her soul rest in peace.
  • Informed (06/12/2023, 18:54) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Signs on beaches and flags.

    There is a system in place where flags are flown on the beaces to warn about rip tide, marine life like jelly fish. Safe to swim and not safe to swim. This is in place but a lot were lost in irma. Need some more funding to assist the Life Guard.
    • @informed (07/12/2023, 15:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The ocean was calm like a pond when this happened. No flags was needed.
  • Indeed sad (06/12/2023, 19:41) Like (3) Dislike (4) Reply
    This is not a good look for the visitors. You guys need to get your priorities straight. Suppose all the families get together and file a lawsuit against the BVI and they are going to send in the powerful lawyers from the US to represent them. If there is a shortage of life guards then simply train and hire a few more so that all the beaches are covered. Things can happen but the visitors is spending a lot of money to visit the BVI and a lot of people depend on tourism to keep them afloat. Another thing you all need to get those pot holes fix. Is it going to take a tourist or a local to fall in one of the many pot holes and get seriously hurt to get the problem resolved?
    • Truth (07/12/2023, 10:33) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Who said she was American? As the other poster said, we should care about our own people as much as foreigners and we have our own laws, not American ones.
  • 2023 (06/12/2023, 20:16) Like (0) Dislike (2) Reply
    pull up…..tell this administration stop spending valuable money on overseas trips and use those dollars to upgrade and fix our country

    Just point of information:-
    the power station @ pockwood pond pushing a lot more spoke these days: more pollution
  • So you mean to tell me (06/12/2023, 22:06) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    With all the money being wasted you mean there is not enough money to hire life guards for the tourist season?
    • Wag? (07/12/2023, 10:36) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      No. There isn’t enough money. How many beaches do you regard as worthy of a guard? Are you going to tell people they don’t deserve to have a guard just because no tourists go there? Tourists are not a protected species! We should treat everyone equally.
  • So (06/12/2023, 23:34) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Swim at your own risk means you are on your own.
  • Insurance (07/12/2023, 00:25) Like (0) Dislike (3) Reply
    Why in the bvi


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