Coke
AN EXCURSION to Lime Cay, off the coast of Port Royal, turned tragic yesterday when a boat capsized, claiming the life of Leighton "Dickie" Coke, one of Jamaica's prominent and popular sports administrators.
Initial reports suggested he had died of a heart attack but this could not be confirmed at press time last night.
The police information arm, the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) said Mr. Coke was with 11 other persons on a boat travelling to the Cay just after 4:00 p.m. yesterday.
A huge wave reportedly capsized the boat. The police said the 11 persons were assisted to shore by Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guards but Mr. Coke was not among the 11. His body was later found in the water and taken to the morgue to await post-mortem examination.
Mr. Coke, 60, spent over 20 years at Desnoes and Geddes, serving as the brewing company's community relations and sports administration manager. He left in August 1998.
He also served for many years as president of the Minor League Football Association and was also on the board of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission. At the time of his death he worked with the Sugar Company of Jamaica as welfare officer.
He is survived by wife Frances and daughter Kimberley.
However, according to Dale Matheson, who said he was one of a group who helped to rescue four of the passengers from the water, a team from the Port Royal-based Y-Knot Bar and Grill responded to an SOS call from a colleague, Nigel Black, who was at Lime Cay at the time the boat capsized some 500 feet from where they were going to dock.
He said the Y-Knot team got there shortly after the Coast Guards and found four women still in the water.
He said the passengers were taken to the HMS Cagway Coast Guard station where emergency medical attention and CPR were administered.
Former Boxing Board vice president Leroy Brown said Coke's death has come as a real shock. "It is a terrific loss for the country. He made a tremendous contribution to sports in Jamaica and up to recently he was helping the board with fund-raising."
Long-time friend, Ossie Clarke. described Mr. Coke as always being "full of fun, full of joke". He said he was humble and down-to-earth. "He was a beautiful human being," he said.
