The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is today extending condolences to the family of 19-year-old trainee constable, Rayandre Pike, who drowned in what the police are calling an “unfortunate incident” on Monday (July 17).

The JCF, in a statement confirming Pike’s death, said the exemplary recruit died trying to save a colleague who encountered difficulty while swimming nearby the Tranquility Bay training facility in St Elizabeth.

Pike, a native of Linstead, St Catherine, was a past student of Charlemont High in the parish.

According to preliminary reports, Pike was among a group of trainee constables who ventured to a section of the beach to relieve muscle fatigue after completing their morning physical training routine.

Pike, a purported strong swimmer, was eventually overcome by a strong undertow and vanished from view. His body has not yet been recovered.

Pike began his training earlier in March and was due to graduate alongside the rest of his Batch 150 trainees around October.

Insisting that personnel safety remains a top priority, the JCF further indicated that its Chaplaincy Unit has been dispatched to provide emotional and spiritual support to recruits and staff members affected by Pike’s untimely passing.