Tragic video footage shared online in the aftermath of a British man’s drowning incident while on a vacation in South America shows a woman grieving beside his body. James Winkles, a newlywed from the Isle of Wight, was holidaying at a coastal resort in Colombia with friends and his wife when the unfortunate incident occurred. His lifeless body was found on El Laguito Beach in Cartagena on March 22, prompting the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to offer assistance to his family.

Winkles, who had been in the city for 12 days, tragically drowned in the sea, with distressing footage capturing the emotional response of his partner. The video, accompanied by images of the deceased from social media, depicts a woman, believed to be his long-term partner, kneeling beside his covered body on the shore, repeatedly lamenting, “My baby, oh my baby,” before exclaiming, “No.”

Reports suggest that Winkles encountered difficulties in the sea off Cartagena’s Caribbean port city, leading to his untimely death. Emergency services responded to the incident around 7 a.m. local time on March 22, but he was declared dead at the scene despite resuscitation efforts. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, with authorities attributing the British tourist’s death to an accident.

Following his death, Winkles’ body was taken to a forensic medicine institute in the city for a post-mortem examination. Colombian media have shared images of the deceased from social media platforms. A spokesperson from the FCDO stated, “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Colombia.”

James Winkles, employed at a family-owned car dealership in Ryde, is the second person to drown off the coast of El Laguito Beach this year. Chef Samuel Peñates Cortina, 21, met a similar fate on February 7, when he was swept away by rough seas near the Hilton Hotel due to adverse weather conditions. Authorities have issued warnings to residents and tourists to avoid the sea during hazardous conditions prevalent in the area.