ROSEAU, Dominica, Dec 3, CMC – A 22-year old United States student has died from injuries received from a boat propeller over the weekend.
Police said that Casey Shulman, a student of the University of Virginia (UVA) was among a group of 54 students who arrived on the island on a ship which offers a semester of studying at sea on Saturday.
The police said that Shulman and a group of students later went snorkelling south of the island and the accident occurred when the students were returning to their base after picking up food supplies.
The authorities said that Shulman sustained injuries all over her body and pronounced dead at the Princess Margaret Hospital.
A statement later issued by UVA vice president and chief student officer, Patricia Lampkin, said Shulman was a participant in the Semester at Sea programme.
“he trip during which the incident occurred was organized independently of the SAS activities. Leadership at the Institute for Shipboard Education and senior voyage administrators have also been in contact with Casey’s family, the U.S. Embassy of the Eastern Caribbean and University leadership.”
It said that grief counseling and support services have been made available to all members of the SAS community on a 24-hour basis and that a commemorative service is planned.
The ship was due to leave Dominica on Sunday “as planned and will return to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Friday, December 7,” she added in the statement.
