A crew member from a Canadian warship has been found dead while on shore leave in the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean.
The military has identified him as 33-year-old Lt. Andrew F. Webster, based out of Halifax.
Webster was serving on board HMCS Toronto, which has been part of counterterrorism and anti-piracy operations in the Arabian Sea.
HMCS Toronto arrived in the capital city of Victoria on New Year’s Eve for a scheduled visit.
Lt.-Col. Chris Lemay of Ottawa tells CTV News that Webster was found unconscious in his hotel room shortly after noon on Thursday. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
The military says local police are handling the investigation because Webster was off-duty at the time and the incident occurred in a civilian setting.
The circumstances surrounding Webster’s death are not yet known but the military says his death is non-combat related and foul play is not suspected.
An autopsy will be conducted Saturday before the case is turned over to the Canadian Forces and Webster’s body flown back to Canada.
Lemay says the HMCS Toronto’s departure may be delayed for a few days until Webster’s body is released, but the ship is expected to leave port within five days.
He also says the military is providing help and support to Webster’s family, who are asking for privacy at this difficult time.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Rick Grant and The Canadian Press
