Former US swimming champion dies in Virgin Islands, police say. Investigation underway

Former American swimming champion Jamie Cail died suddenly in the U.S. Virgin Islands, prompting an investigation, officials said.

Cail’s boyfriend found her unresponsive at their St. John home early in the morning on Feb. 21, according to a news release from the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department.

He left a nearby bar to check on 42-year-old Cail around midnight and when he arrived, he found her on the floor, police said.

Assisted by a friend, he drove Cail to a medical clinic where 911 was called and CPR was performed, but she was declared deceased, according to police.

“This case is presently under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau,” police said.

As a teenager, Cail swam on the U.S. team at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships and won a gold medal, according to the swimming news site SwimSwam. She was also on nearly a dozen “top 16 lists published by United States Swimming.”

Cail, originally from New Hampshire, swam in college at the University of Southern California and the University of Maine, according to NBC News.

She was “a very beautiful person,” a friend told WMUR. “She had a huge heart. She was really loving and kind and well-loved and popular on the island and everybody knows her.”

The U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Former US swimming champion dies in Virgin Islands, police say. Investigation underway."