The Big Lead

Reporter who broke Jet Set tragedy news was nearly in the Dominican club when roof fell

By J.P. Hoornstra

Oct 25, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird (9) talks with pitcher Octavio Dotel (20) in the 8th inning during game two of the 2012 World Series against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.
Oct 25, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird (9) talks with pitcher Octavio Dotel (20) in the 8th inning during game two of the 2012 World Series against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. / H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY
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Hector Gomez is perhaps the most well-known baseball reporter based in the Dominican Republic. His 100,000-plus followers on Twitter/X attest to his knack for breaking news with the best of them.

This week, Gomez found himself breaking news of a different variety than usual.

RELATED: Ex-MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel one of dozens dead in nightclub catastrophe

Early Tuesday morning, the roof of the Jet Set night club in Santo Domingo collapsed. The death toll has risen steadily since rescuers began their attempts to extract victims from the rubble. The New York Times reported Wednesday morning that 113 are confirmed dead. The Associated Press reported 98 deaths and 160 injuries.

Among the victims: former MLB players Tony Blanco and Octavio Dotel, and Nelsy Cruz, the sister of retired slugger Nelson Cruz. The tragedy at the popular night club in the National District has touched many in the baseball community, which has long had a heavy presence in the Dominican Republic.

"I still have family members that are still in the rubbles, and we don't know what happened to them," Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez said in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday night.

Gomez was even closer to the incident.

"I usually go to Jet Set with my wife on Mondays," Gomez wrote in Spanish on Twitter/X. "In fact, I was planning to go last Monday, but because I was so tired after returning from my hometown of Bánica, I decided to stay home."

Reporters never want to become part of the story. That's true in general, but even more so when the story involves the loss of lives. Fortunately Gomez was nowhere near the National District when tragedy struck Tuesday.

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