Marion resident and recent Tabor Academy graduate Tucker Francis has died while snorkeling with the school in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Francis, the son of Jennifer and Peter Francis, graduated from Tabor Academy in 2016, two years after his sister Holly Francis. He was employed by Tabor to assist with the school's REEF program in the Caribbean when the accident happened.

In a letter to the Tabor Community issued on Wednesday, Head of School John Quirk said it was an accident.

“While we are working now to get more specific information about the accident, our hearts are broken,” Quirk wrote.

Francis was taking a gap year before starting school at Santa Clara University and was employed by Tabor as a member of the crew sailing on the school's ship, Tabor Boy.

REEF, an acronym for Research and Environment Education Focus, is a program that takes students to the Caribbean to study reef health and to collect data for researchers.

In his letter, Quirk said he would leave for St. John as soon as possible to be with the crew and program directors. The students on the trip will return Wednesday night.

Quirk said counseling services would be provided for the school community and asked everyone to respect the Francis family's privacy.

Wrote Quirk, “Please join me in keeping the Francis family, and indeed our full community, in our thoughts and prayers.”