Ben Wood, a Brookfield-born food influencer and entrepreneur, and two relatives died while attempting to rescue a swimmer off the coast of Algarrobo, Chile, officials and news reports said. Wood was 43.

What happened

According to CT Insider, Diario El Día and People, Wood, his 77-year-old father Norman Wood and Wood’s partner, Maria Jose “Pepa” Duarte, drowned Monday in the sea off Algarrobo in a chain-reaction rescue attempt. Local reports say a young woman was swept by a large wave and her partner entered the water to help; that partner survived after being rescued by a naval helicopter.

The incident was reported in Chilean and U.S. outlets. CT Insider reported that Wood’s father had been visiting his son; Wood grew up in Brookfield and moved to Chile in 2012, most recently living in Santiago.

Career, family response and tributes

People reported that Wood was the founder of the online mail-order beer marketplace Craftwork Chile and an independent brewing project called Lost and Found Liquids. He was also active on Instagram, where his page, Brebajes con Benny, included roughly 800 posts and more than 37,000 followers as of the report.

People also noted that Wood’s daughter confirmed his death in an Instagram Stories post. The tribute, written in Spanish and viewable Wednesday and Thursday by outlets citing the post, said Wood and his partner “loved their work and passions” and described them as having “given their lives for others,” a reference to their attempt to aid others in danger.

Media outlets covering the incident included CT Insider, People and Diario El Día. Patch published a summary of those reports.

Survivor and ongoing coverage

Diario El Día reported that the only survivor of the immediate group was the woman’s partner, rescued by a naval helicopter. Authorities and local media provided the account of events; further official statements were not included in the reports cited.

We will update this article only as confirmed information is released by family or official sources. Our account is based on contemporaneous reporting by CT Insider, People and Diario El Día.

Image Referance: https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/brookfield-food-influencer-father-partner-drown-while-trying-rescue-swimmer