Get the latest gossip
Kite Foil Racer Dead At 18 In Tragic Accident Just Weeks Before Olympic Debut
A US-born athlete set to represent Tonga in the Olympics has died... just weeks before his debut. Jackson James "JJ" Rice's shocking accidental death
According to Matangi Tonga Online, the 18-year-old was free diving from a boat near his home in Faleloa, Ha’apai when a suspected “shallow water blackout” — a lack of oxygen — caused him to lose consciousness. The teen was born in the United States to British parents, but grew up in Tonga and represented the nation in international Kite Foiling events for several years. He told the story of how back in 2015, his son risked his life to help save the lives of two girls after a ferryboat capsized on the water.
Or read this on Perez Hilton