Star kite foil racer Jackson James Rice has tragically passed away at the age of 18, just weeks before his scheduled Olympic debut. Darren Rice, the father of the late athlete, confirmed the news of his son’s death to the Matangi Tonga newspaper on Monday.
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Darren reported to the local Tonga outlet that Jackson, commonly known as JJ, was free diving from a boat in Faleloa, Ha’apai on Saturday, June 15, when he likely experienced a shallow water blackout.
A shallow water blackout occurs when a diver loses consciousness due to a lack of oxygen in the brain towards the end of a breath-hold dive in shallow water. This typically happens when a diver hyperventilates before the dive. It reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and delays the urge to breathe.
Fellow divers discovered the young Olympic star’s body on the seafloor beneath the boat around 12:15 p.m.
“I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world. It pains me to say that he’s passed away,” JJ’s sister Lily wrote in a Facebook post. “He was an amazing kitefoiler. [JJ] would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal. He made so many amazing friends all over the world.”
The Olympic hopeful was also selfless. His father Darren recalled how, at the age of 15, JJ had bravely risked his life to save many others when a ferryboat carrying 18 people capsized in rough seas off Faleloa in 2021. JJ also once swam out to rescue two girls swept off a sandbar, pulling them to safety.
JJ Rice Would Have Made Olympic History on Two Fronts
Jackson was poised to become the first Caucasian athlete to represent Tonga in the Olympics. Despite being born in the United States to British parents, he grew up in Ha’apai. He had represented Tonga in numerous international kite foiling events over the years, according to Matangi Tonga.
In an interview with the same outlet a month earlier, Jackson stated, “I’ve lived in Tonga my entire life. I see myself as a Tongan.”
In an Instagram post from May, Rice wrote that he wanted to “say a big thank you to everyone who has supported, mentored, given me a couch to stay on and pushed me to my absolute limit.”
“Thank you firstly to my mum and dad without you guys nothing would be possible,” he added.