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Fellow Tongan Olympian Honors 18-Year-Old Kite Surfer After His Death


Tongan Olympian Pita Taufatofua paid tribute to kite foil racer Jackson James Rice, who died on Saturday, June 15, in a diving accident

“It is with Saddness that I share the passing of @jj__rice our future Olympic hopeful kite surfer from Haapai in Tonga,” Taufatofua, 40, wrote via Instagram on Monday, June 17, alongside photos of the late Rice riding on the water. His father, Darren, told Matangi Tonga News that Jackson was free diving from a boat in Faleloa, Ha’apai, when he experienced what was likely a shallow water blackout. Courtesy of Jackson James Rice/FacebookThe medical emergency occurs when a diver loses consciousness due to lack of oxygen in shallow water.

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