Tragedy has struck the U.S. swimming community after a former champion unexpectedly passed away.
Jamie Cail, 42, was found unresponsive at the home she shared with her boyfriend in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Feb. 21.
The Virgin Islands Police Department has launched an investigation in Cail’s death, according to a statement released by them.
According to the VIPD’s statement, Cail was found unresponsive at 12:08 a.m. by her boyfriend, who had been at a local bar.
Of note, the boyfriend has not been named in any statements.
Upon arriving, Cail’s boyfriend found her on the floor and, with the help of a friend, was able to transport her to the Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic.
CPR was administered, but Cail eventually “succumbed to her ailment.”
One of Cail’s friends spoke to WMUR-TV and had nothing but fond words and memories of the swimmer, who was from Claremont, New Hampshire.
“She was just she was she was a very beautiful person,” one friend told the outlet. “She had a huge heart. She was really loving and kind and well-loved and popular on the island, and everybody knows her.”
“Everyone from the, you know, older generational, local families to the younger people, everybody loved her,” the friend added.
According to swimming news site SwimSwam, Cail was a gold medalist in the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships where her team won the 800 meter free relay — she was still a teenager.
Curiously, a quick search through USA Swimming’s archived rosters does show a Jamie “Call” on the roster for that event in 1997, though that could easily have been (and is most likely) a simple spelling error.
SwimSwam also noted that Cail won a silver medal at the 1998-1999 FINA Swimming World Cup in Brazil in the 800 meter free as a member of the United States Swimming National B Team.
On Twitter, one user claimed to be former teammates and classmates with Cail and lauded her work ethic, among other things.
Very sad to hear that my hs friend and teammate, Jamie Cail (in the middle with the Bolles suit), has passed away. Jamie had an unmatched work ethic. She left everything in each practice and became a world class distance swimmer through grit. Rest in peace to a real one ? pic.twitter.com/IZ1lE4U2IS
— Jooyoung Lee? (@theyoungjoo) February 22, 2023
“Very sad to hear that my hs friend and teammate, Jamie Cail (in the middle with the Bolles suit), has passed away,” the Twitter user, whose profile states that he’s a sociologist at the University of Toronto, wrote.
“Jamie had an unmatched work ethic. She left everything in each practice and became a world class distance swimmer through grit. Rest in peace to a real one.”
That same Twitter user also shared an amusing anecdote that, while he and other were struggling with 10 pounds of supplemental weight during training, Cail was quadrupling them:
I remember we used to do dry land training to supplement swimming. One set was 10 x 1 minute rapid jumps while holding weights over one’s head. Most of us would hold 10 pound weights. Jamie would hoist a 45 pound plate above her head and push through pain. She was a real one.
— Jooyoung Lee? (@theyoungjoo) February 22, 2023
As this is still being investigated, the VIPD noted in their statement: Anyone with any information regarding this case is urged to contact 911, Criminal Investigation Bureau, Detective J. Carty at (340) 693-8880, ext. 5207 or Detective S. Rhymer at (340) 774-2211 ext. 5572 or Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1 (800) 222-TIPS.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.