The chief financial officer for Domino's Pizza drowned in a snorkeling accident Thursday while vacationing with his family off the eastern coast of Africa, according to the company and multiple news reports.
David Bauernfeind, 51, had been celebrating the Christmas holidays with his wife and daughter in Mauritius, a small island beyond Madagascar.
The Bauernfeinds were staying in a hotel in the posh district of Belle-Mare since Dec. 19, according to reports.
Bauernfeind joined the British arm of Domino's Pizza Group in October 2018. The British-based company released a statement Friday confirming his death.
Credit: Reuters
Credit: Reuters
“We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic news,” said the company’s chief executive David Wild in a statement. “On behalf of our Board, our colleagues and our franchisees, we send our heartfelt sympathies to David’s wife Nicolette and daughter Ornella as well as his wider family and friends.”
The Daily Mirror of London reported that the skipper of a yacht first spotted Bauernfeind's body Thursday morning floating in a lagoon.
Reports by another British tabloid, The Sun, said Bauernfeind’s wife reported him missing after he failed to return to their hotel room.
His body was pulled from the waters and transported to the Victoria Hospital in Candos, reports said.
An autopsy later determined the cause of death as asphyxiation by drowning.
“He was a force for good within the business and will be greatly missed,” Wild said.
No other additional details about the incident were disclosed.
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