A beloved Tongan athlete was killed in a fatal diving accident weeks away from his Olympic debut.
JJ Rice, 18, died after diving off a boat into shallow water in Faleloa, Ha'apai, Saturday afternoon, Matangi Tonga Online and Sky News reported, citing JJ's father, Darren Rice.
He was found unresponsive on the ocean floor beneath the boat. Divers' efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, according to the outlets.
"I'm in shock. I still can't believe it, and it will take all of us who loved JJ so long to feel ok again," his sister, Lily Rice, wrote on Facebook, confirming his death over the weekend. "J was the most amazing, funny, unique person I've ever known, and I'm going to miss everything about him. He was so talented and was amazing at everything he tried. He was an amazing kite foiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal and an even bigger smile."
"The last time I saw him he gave me a big hug and I wish I would've held on for longer," she added.
JJ was expected to represent Tonga in kite foil racing –– a combination of sailing, wakeboarding, surfing, windsurfing and paragliding –– at the Paris Olympics in July.
He was born in the U.S., but raised in Tonga since he was 3 years old.
"I've lived in Tonga my whole life, I see myself as a Tongan, I don't see myself as anything else," he previously told local news.
