DXer dies doing what he loved

Renowned DXer and contester José Manuel Valdés Rodriguez, YV5LIX, died on 21 April while participating in the YX0A DXpedition to Aves Island in the Caribbean.

57-year-old José – better known simply as Joe - suffered a heart attack at 0400UTC shortly after the YX0A DXpedition got under way. Two physicians accompanying the DXpedition team were unable to resuscitate him.

The Aves Island DXpedition has reportedly been given permission to use the memorial callsign YX0LIX until the DXpedition ends on May 1 to commemorate José's life.

The Aves Island DXpedition was organised by members of the Association of Radioamateurs of Venezuela and the Grupo DX Caracas. José was the DXpedition's digital modes coordinator and was planning to concentrate on digital modes during the last few days of operation.

Source: GB2RS News - Courtesy of the RSGB