He reportedly found the bodies of Canadian tourists on a beach in the Dominican Republic hours after his disappearance in mid-June, and his family asked for financial support to send his remains back to Canada.
Dorian Christian MacDonald, 38, was soloing on the beach at 4:15 a.m. local time on June 20 at about 2 a.m. local time.
When the fatal incident occurred, McDonald was on vacation alone at a hotel on Puerto Rico on the island’s north coast.
A spokesperson for the government department responsible for foreign affairs told Global News it was aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in the Dominican Republic.
“Consular officials are in contact with local authorities and provide consular assistance to families. No further information may be disclosed due to privacy concerns,” the statement said.
MacDonald's friend Tara Mackenzie started the Gofundme page on behalf of the victim's family to pay for the funeral costs and costs related to returning the body to his home in Nova Scotia, and he wrote that his death was a “drowning accident.”
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“Between flights, international paperwork, funeral coordination, preparation for the body and all the traditional Chinese tape festivals, we are looking for a cost of $10,000 to $20,000 just to get him back.
“Just knowing that he is no longer a part of it, the world will feel quieter and more distinct.”
Mackenzie describes McDonald as a loved one.
She wrote: “Dorian distributed hugs, praises, I love you as freely as oxygen and always wanted and willing to celebrate everything together – this week's festival, holidays, babies, victory, losses, losses and any random Tuesdays seem to need to be more interesting.”
As of Monday, GoFundMe has raised $38,000 from its $40,000 target.
In March, American student and tourist Sudiksha Konanki, who also vacations in the Dominican Republic, disappeared after spending some time with another tourist, Joshua Riibe.
Dominican authorities believe he was the last known person to meet Konanki before his disappearance on March 6 and withheld his passport for 10 days when questioned. Riibe was granted a free request on March 19 after the judge ruled that he could investigate without being detained.
Former lifeguard Ribe said he tried to save Kang Ki's life as they were hit by the waves while also slashing deep waists in the ocean and dragging it to the sea. He said he managed to drag her to the shore, but lost her when he started vomiting from swallowing sea water.
Authorities say they believe Konanki ended up drowning.
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