KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has denounced claims circulating on social media that one of its soldiers died on a JetBlue flight en route to New York from Kingston, Jamaica yesterday afternoon.

Lieutenant Nathan Curtis, civil military co-operations officer at the JDF, told OBSERVER ONLINE that the man in a photograph being circulated, has no current affiliations with the JDF.

“The man identified in the photo is not a member of the JDF. He is an ex-soldier who terminated his service on January 15, 2020,” Curtis said.

The Norman Manley International Airport has confirmed that a flight headed to New York on Wednesday was diverted to the Charleston International Airport in South Carolina.

It is reported that a male passenger aboard the plane had a medical emergency.

Curtis said the JDF isn’t able to confirm whether or not the ex-soldier has died.

“We have seen the reports indicating that the man identified is dead. The JDF is not in a position to provide clinical confirmation of his death.”

Also, representatives from the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) told OBSERVER ONLINE they were not aware of the incident and could not provide any information.

Romardo Lyons