4 Jan 2009

Travolta's son dies suddenly in Bahamas

8:06 am on 4 January 2009

The teenage son of American actor John Travolta has died suddenly while on a family holiday in the Bahamas.

The actor's lawyer, Michael Ossi, said Jett Travolta suffered a seizure and attempts to revive him failed.

The 16-year-old apparently hit his head and a caretaker found him unconscious in the bathroom on Friday morning.

He was taken by ambulance to Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, where he was pronounced dead, according to Bahamas police.

Jett was the eldest child of Travolta and his wife, actress Kelly Preston. They also have an eight-year-old daughter, Ella Blue.

Mr Ossi said the couple were "distraught" over the loss of their son. Both have said previously that he became very sick when he was a toddler and was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, which leads to inflammation of the blood vessels in young children.

"This is the worst day in Mr and Mrs Travolta's life - nobody wants to bury their child," Mr Ossi said.

The family, who have homes in California and Florida, arrived in the Bahamas on Tuesday by private plane and were staying in a property in the grounds of the Old Bahama Bay Hotel.

A post-mortem is likely to be performed on Monday, police said.