A British man has died after jumping from a boat during a tourist excursion in Zante, Greece. Cameron William Wallace, 34, of Exeter, was on a turtle-spotting trip with a friend on Tuesday when he jumped into the sea around 3 p.m. near the island of Marathonisi, off the southern coast of Zakynthos.
Port authority officers and beachgoers assisted in bringing Mr. Wallace to shore, where CPR and first aid were administered. He was then taken by patrol boat to the port of Agios Sostis and subsequently to the General Hospital of Zakynthos, where he was pronounced dead. The Zakynthos Port Authority has launched a preliminary investigation into the incident, and a post-mortem examination is scheduled.
Mr. Wallace, a former electrical engineer who had recently celebrated his engagement to Silvana Bernardes, was reportedly excited about the holiday. Ms. Bernardes described his death as a "huge shock" and suggested it might have been an accident, possibly due to a heart attack or drowning.
Mr. Wallace's friend, Steve Pittman, who was with him on the boat, is understood to be experiencing guilt over the incident, though Ms. Bernardes stated there was "nothing he could have done."
Tributes have been shared by Mr. Wallace's friends and family. His sister announced his "sudden passing whilst on holiday" and initiated a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of bringing him home for burial. A friend recalled Mr. Wallace as a "well loved friend" who always made an effort to stay connected, sharing memories of their conversations and his presence at significant life events.
Mr. Wallace had recently experienced a job loss after running his electrical engineering business for a decade, according to reports.