Some young men are able to push themselves to the limit and accomplish things that most people would never be able to accomplish. Jackson James Rice was one of those individuals, but he died in his prime.
Jackson passed away at the age of 18 recently in a tragic accident. He was only weeks away from debuting in the Olympics in Paris. He was to be the first Caucasian to compete for Tonga in the Olympic Games.
When Jackson was free diving from a boat in Tonga on June 15, he experienced a shallow water blackout. This is when a person loses consciousness after they hold their breath for an extended amount of time in shallow water. Typically, it is a result of hyperventilating before a dive that lowers the CO2 levels and delays the urge to breathe.
When his body was found underneath the boat, they tried a few times to revive him but unfortunately, they were unable. His sister went on Facebook to post the sad news about his passing.
He was born in the United States but eventually moved to Tonga with his British parents. They managed a hotel in Ha’apai and he considers himself to be a Tongan.
After placing in an event, he qualified for the Olympics. Kite foil racing, which was his expertise is a type of competitive kite surfing that involves riders using hyper foils to race on the water.
May he rest in peace.