Daylight Drowning Occurs Off Cruz Bay Beach

An unclothed adult male drowned in Cruz Bay between the Loredon L. Boynes Sr. ferry dock and the Battery on Monday afternoon, August 1, according to officials. An unclothed adult male drowned in Cruz Bay between the Loredon L. Boynes Sr. ferry dock and the Battery on Monday afternoon, August 1, according to officials.
The drowned victim was identified as Hercules Alexander, a 43-year-old black male, according to V.I. Police Department Territorial Chief of Police Novelle Francis.
At approximately 2 p.m. Monday, police received a call reporting that a male individual was walking naked on Cruz Bay beach in the area of the Battery, according to the VIPD chief.
The VIPD officers on the scene indicated that upon arrival they encountered a male individual lying face down in the water approximately 50 feet from the sandy beach shoreline, said Francis.
The victim was pulled out of the water between 2:15 and 2:30 p.m., according to St. John Rescue Chief John Bowman, who responded to the scene and assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel.
The body was retrieved by EMS technicians and St. John Rescue, and rescue officials from both groups attempted to revive the victim, according to Francis. The victim was subsequently pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor at the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center, Francis added.
The VIPD territorial chief said the police report did not contain information indicating whether the victim was intoxicated or had suffered any injuries prior to drowning.