Peacekeeper dies after fall on patrol in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – A U.N. peacekeeper patrolling a rural Haitian town died after falling through a dock and striking his head on the rocks in the sea below, officials said Friday.

The Sri Lankan soldier died Tuesday in coastal Petit-Goave, about 45 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, said Lt. Col. Elouafi Boulbars, a U.N. military spokesman.

The soldier was walking along a wooden dock to observe a suspicious boat when the structure fell apart, Boulbars said.

He was the fourth U.N. peacekeeper to die in Haiti since the U.N. mission began in June 2004.