The family of Jackson James Rice has confirmed that he died only weeks before he was set to 'make history' with his performance.
Rice was expected to represent Tonga at the Paris Olympic Games in France at the young age of 18.
He had qualified kite-foiling event and was set to be the first Caucasian to represent the small nation at an Olympic Games event, CBS reports.
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The 18-year-old, also known as JJ, died in Faleloa, Tonga, on Saturday (June 15) from a 'suspected shallow water blackout', his father, Darren Rice, told local media.
A shallow water blackout is the loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoxia ‘towards the end of a breath-hold dive in shallow water,’ according to the National Library of Medicine.
It is 'typically caused by hyperventilating just before a dive, which lowers the carbon dioxide (CO2) level and delays the diver's urge to breathe'.
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He had been free diving from a boat when the tragic incident occurred and his body was found beneath the boat at 12:15pm, with subsequent resuscitation attempts proving unsuccessful.
His sister, Lily took to social media to give a heartfelt tribute to her brother.
On Facebook, she wrote: "I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world and it pains me to say that he’s passed away.
“I don’t even know what to say, I don’t know what to do, or what to think. I miss JJ beyond belief, I’m in shock I still can't believe it and it will take all of us who loved JJ so long to feel ok again.
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"He was an amazing kitefoiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal … he made so many amazing friends all over the world.
“I will try my best to use what he taught me to be even a tiny bit as amazing as he was.”
While he was born in the United States to British parents, Jackson grew up in Ha'apai and represented Tonga in multiple international kite foiling events over the years.
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He told Matangi Tonga Online one month ago: "I've lived in Tonga my whole life, I see myself as a Tongan."
Speaking to the same outlet, his father spoke of how at 15 years old, his son once risked his life to save 18 people from a capsized boat off Faleoa in 2021.
A funeral will be announced at a later date, the publication reports.
Kite foiling is one of the new events that is debuting in the Olympics this year.
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The ANOC world beach games organization describes the sport as ‘a surface water (also snow and land) sport combining aspects of sailing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing and paragliding, into one extreme sport'.
Topics: Sport, Olympics, World News, News
Gerrard Kaonga