Overview
- Stuart Ortiz, 42, drowned during a visit to a coastal cave complex near Santo Domingo and companions tried to rescue him but could not revive him.
- Emergency teams recovered his body and transferred it to the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses (Inacif), which will issue the formal cause of death.
- Reports disagree on the precise site of the accident, with some outlets naming the restricted Cueva Virgen and others citing the Cueva del Huevo.
- A wake was held at Funeraria INAVI in Gazcue and a community fundraiser has been organized to help Ortiz’s daughters with funeral costs.
- Ortiz was a noted ENAD-trained actor, director and filmmaker with a long career in Dominican theatre, film and television, and officials have warned that some local cenotes are officially closed because their depth makes them hazardous.