KINGSTON, Jamaica – Daundre Barnaby, a Jamaican-born Canadian Olympic 400m runner, is suspected to have drowned while swimming in St Kitts-Nevis yesterday.

Athletics Canada on Friday reported that Barnaby, 24, was swimming at a training camp on the Caribbean island with his teammates when a strong current swept him out to sea.

“Daundre was swimming in the ocean with teammates during down time when he disappeared around 11:00 am. A strong back current took him out, his teammates tried to save him,” Athletics Canada said in a statement. “His body was found around 3:30 pm by local search and rescue.

The statement also said an Athletics Canada grief counsellor was on the way to St Kitts to provide the necessary support to athletes, coaches and staff on-site.

Barnaby is from St Ann and, according to Athletics Canada, officially became a Canadian citizen in 2012, representing Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games.

He reportedly finished sixth in his heat at the London Olympics 2012 and reached the semi-finals at last year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Barnaby’s most recent international competition was the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Athletics Canada Chief Executive Officer Rob Guy called Barnaby “an outstanding athlete and an even better young man”.