A Canadian tourist drowned at Horseshoe Bay after a suspected heart attack.

Lifeguards and a visiting American doctor fought for more than 20 minutes to try to save 62-year-old Levy Shekhter after he ran into difficulties at the popular beach around 11a.m. yesterday.

Jeff Richman, a doctor from Baltimore visiting the Island for a family wedding, assisted in attempts to resuscitate the Canadian after two lifeguards had pulled him from the water.

"My wife saw the lifeguards go out and I thought it was just a drill until I saw them drag the man in," Dr. Richman told The Royal Gazette.

"I offered to help resuscitate him and we worked on him for around 20 minutes to give him a fair chance.

"He showed all the signs of a heart attack but he definitely did drown, there was water in his lungs.

"By the colour of him, he had clearly died out there several minutes before."

Basile Perrakis, a cruise ship passenger from Long Island, New York, witnessed Mr. Shekhter's final moments.

"I saw him flailing around in the water, going up and down," he said.

"I watched the lifeguard run out to him, but when I looked again I saw he was floating face down. Another lifeguard then went out and they dragged him in while trying to give him mouth-to-mouth.

"There were about five of them working on him at the end. He looked blue, people were saying it looked like a heart attack."

Fellow passenger Andrea Engelbrecht added: "The lifeguards did a really great job. They were really working hard to try and save him.

"I'm a nurse and offered to help but they were clearly doing the best they could. It is so sad to see this happen on such a beautiful beach."

Bermuda Police have extended their sympathies to the Shekhter family. The incident had echoes of another tragedy this week.

On Monday, 48-year-old chef Hubert Rozario died of a suspected heart attack on Middle Road while out jogging.