Newlywed British man dies after drowning on dream holiday with wife and friends
A newlywed Brit has drowned on his dream holiday to a coastal resort in Colombia.
James Winkles, who came from the Isle of Wight, was visiting the coastal resort with a group of friends, including his newlywed wife.
His body was found washed up on El Laguito Beach in Cartagena, Colombia, on Sunday morning.
James had been in the city, located on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, for 12 days, according to local media.
He was reportedly staying at a luxury hotel in the El Laguito area to celebrate his wedding with friends.
The 30-year-old went missing the night before after allegedly entering the water in adverse weather and sea conditions.
The emergency services arrived on the scene and confirmed he was dead.
His body was taken to a nearby morgue to establish the circumstances leading up to his suspected drowning.
The investigation into the British tourist’s death is ongoing.
James, who worked for a family-run car dealership in Ryde, was the second person to drown off the coast of El Laguito Beach so far this year.
On February 7, chef Samuel Peñates Cortina, 21, was swept away while swimming in the sea with his girlfriend.
His body was found three days later on a beach on the island of Tierra Bomba.
The authorities have urged swimmers to exercise caution when entering the water.
They said to avoid entering the sea if the wind is strong and waves exceed 1.9 metres in height, waiting a while after eating, and to avoid excessive alcohol consumption.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed yesterday: ‘We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Colombia.’
Last August, a British man on holiday in Benidorm died after drowning in a late evening swim.
The 31-year-old was found lifeless after struggling to make it back to land, police confirmed.
He had jumped into the water at Benidorm’s Levante Beach with at least two other British friends, who returned unharmed.
Bystanders tried unsuccessfully to rescue the drowning tourist before the coastguard also failed to locate him in the water.
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