THE ISLAND HAS lost one of its promising young surfers.
Sixteen-year-old Zander Venezia lost his life at Cattlewash, St Joseph, on a day when the effects of Irma, a dangerous Category 5 hurricane with winds of 185 miles per hour (297 kph), caused the waters of the Careenage to spill over onto Wharf Road, prompting its closure. A house also lost its roof in Upton, Christ Church.
Reports are that Zander was bundled over by a large wave from the high swells associated with Irma, and hit his head on a reef. He failed to regain consciousness and was pronounced dead at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
His death caused an outpouring of grief among the surfing community and from his school, The St Michael School. (HLE)