American tourist dies underwater at Tanzania’s Pemba Island

An American tourist, Steven Weber, died while diving underwater at Manta Resort in Zanzibar’s twin island of Pemba.

The US State Department has confirmed the death of the Louisiana man, while Tanzanian security authorities said they were investigating the incident.

Weber and his girlfriend, Kenesha Antoine, who had traveled from Louisiana to Pemba Island on Thursday of last week, were staying at the luxury Manta Resort, which is famous for its floating accommodations that include underwater rooms.

“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,” the State Department said.

The Manta Resort confirmed in a statement that a guest had died. The chief executive of the resort, Matthew Saus, said, “A male guest tragically drowned while free diving alone outside the underwater room.

“Our sincerest condolences, thoughts and prayers are with his girlfriend, families, and friends impacted by this tragic accident,” Mathew said.

The Louisiana man was reported drowned after proposing to his girlfriend underwater. The couple was staying in a wooden cabin with a bedroom submerged in the Indian Ocean waters.

Pemba Island is famous for dolphins and underwater marine tourism, attracting a magnitude of diving tourists across the world.

Steven Weber’s fatal accident is the first of its kind to be reported in Tanzania’s Indian Ocean waters.