MAURITIUS, Dec 29 (NNN-PIN) – The UK chief finance officer of Domino’s Pizza, drowned while on holiday with his family in Mauritius.
The company said, David Bauernfeind, 51, died in a snorkling accident, on the Indian Ocean island on Boxing Day.
Local reports said, Bauernfeind was found by a sailor, off the coast of the island. He was taken back to shore and a postmortem found he had drowned.
“We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic news,” said David Wild, the company’s chief executive. “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.”
Bauernfeind was the fourth person in four years to head the finance department at the pizza company, when he was appointed in Oct, 2018.
He was previously the chief financial officer of Connect Group, the newspaper distribution company formerly owned by WH Smith, and also worked for 15 years at the technology firm Xchanging.
The Lux Belle Mare in Mauritius, where David Bauernfeind met his tragic end on Dec 26, 2019. (Booking.com photo)
Mauritius newspaper, L’Express, reported that the body of the British tourist was found at 11.45 a.m. local time (0745 GMT) on Thursday, off the coast of Belle Mare, on the east side of the island.
The body was taken to Victoria hospital, further inland. The cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning.
“David was hugely liked and deeply respected for his dedication and sharp intellect amongst Domino’s colleagues. He was a force for good within the business and will be greatly missed,” Wild said.– NNN-PIN