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HomeNewsLocal newsAn Outpouring of Sympathy After Death of St. Thomas Attorney

An Outpouring of Sympathy After Death of St. Thomas Attorney

Neighbors, friends and colleagues shared words of comfort with Greene’s family on social media after his death on Sunday. (Facebook photo)

Neighbors, colleagues and business associates took to social media Monday in support of St. Thomas attorney Ryan Greene and his family. Greene died Sunday afternoon in an area called Platform Beach at the mouth of Magens Bay.

Glen Dratte, communications director for the Virgin Islands Police Department, said an official statement will be released about the Sunday incident once identification of the victim is confirmed by relatives. Unconfirmed sources say Greene’s death was an apparent drowning.

“My understanding is that PD and Rescue were the first on the scene. It was what we called a low-angle technical rescue,” said St. Thomas Rescue spokesman Chris Watson. Watson explained that Greene’s location was 150 steps down from the road to the shoreline and a distance along the shore from the steps.

Watson also said it was a vacationing paramedic who, after seeing Greene in the water, made his way out and brought him back onto shore.

According to records kept by Vitema, first responders from St. Thomas Rescue and police were called to the scene near Peterborg Road around 5:44 p.m. Sunday. Green was pronounced dead at the scene.

Greene operated a personal injury law practice on St. Thomas for more than 20 years. Among those expressing their condolences was Virgin Islands Bar Association President Alisha Udhwani. “Attorney Ryan W. Greene dedicated his professional life to helping his clients seek justice. He served his clients’ interests zealously, while always remaining kind and courteous to the attorneys he worked with,” Udhwani said Tuesday. “The Virgin Islands Bar Association offers its condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues with great sadness.”

Former Senator Adlah Donastorg posted a message, calling news of Greene’s death a shock. Businesswoman Jennifer Lynne Berry recalled the times Greene would walk into Jen’s Deli near Emancipation Garden. “ … he would come into Jen’s deli and always light up the room. He also gave my daughter her first summer job,” Berry said.

But the most poignant expression appeared Monday on social media, posted on the site What’s Going On St. Thomas? by Liz Irizarry. Below her message, a photo of herself and a smiling Greene holding a little boy.

As Irizarry explained, their son Roman William is now her channel to the spirit of a lost loved one. “Husband, father, and friend I will love you and see you in our beautiful blessing, Roman every day,” she said.

Many of those posting comments remembered Greene as a positive, helpful, and cheerful person who enjoyed working out at the Rock Life Crossfit Gym near Bluebeard’s Castle.

Greene’s death came on the same day as an incident on St. John, where a young businessman drowned while swimming with his brother near Pond Bay.

“The victim (Mr. Kwesi Adams) along with Mr. Tresan Adams, his brother, and Mr. Jay Savage traveled in the area of Pond Bay, Chocolate Hole St John to snorkel and scuba dive,” said police spokesman Glen Dratte. “While diving for about 15 mins in shallow water, Mr. T. Adams and Mr. J. Savage noticed that  Mr. K. Adams was struggling in the water. T. Adams and J. Savage were able to get K. Adams onto a nearby rock and began mouth-to-mouth. K. Adams spit up water and began breathing. K. Adams subsequently lost consciousness at which point a bystander in the area with a dinghy assisted with providing transport to the shore.”

But Dratte said Kwesi Adams, 27, never recovered after losing consciousness the second time. He was pronounced dead on arrival after emergency medical technicians transported him for medical treatment.

Responders arrived on the scene of the Pond Mouth incident around 4:45 p.m. Sunday.

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