Connecticut native drowns in Caribbean island

ROSEAU, Dominica --A 22-year-old Connecticut native has apparently drowned in a pool fed by waterfalls in this tiny Caribbean island, officials said.

Lauren Avezzie, of Washington, D.C., was swimming on Sunday with her boyfriend under the Sari Sari Falls when the water began to rise quickly due to recent heavy rains, said police spokesman Cyrille Carrette.

Avezzie, who had arrived in the island on Saturday, was swept underwater by strong currents. Her boyfriend, an Iraqi who is studying medicine in Dominica, tried to save her, Carrette said Monday.

Authorities planned to perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

The waterfalls, a popular tourist site in the country's east, is located about 38 miles east of Portsmouth.

Avezzie's parents live in Burlington, Conn., where she grew up. She graduated from the Master's School in West Simbsury, Conn., and Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. She worked at the Spanish embassy and the International Language Institute in Washington, D.C.

A memorial service is scheduled for noon Saturday at Valley Community Baptist Church in Avon, Conn.