SANTIAGO – A Canadian citizen has been confirmed to have died from stab wounds received on Friday in the Chilean port of Valparaiso while he was strolling with his family in one of the city’s hillside tourist areas, local media and police said.

Global Affairs Canada has confirmed the death, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) has identified the victim as 57-year-old retired UBC professor Peter Winterburn.

The victim was killed at around noon when he tried to resist the theft of his backpack by two assailants who fled the scene, the La Tercera reported.

According to the newspaper, the Canadian family resides in Chile’s capital Santiago, which is located about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the touristic port.

A spokesperson for the mining company Vale said Winterburn had worked there for years before moving to Chile.

“He is missed by all of us at Vale but particularly so by his colleagues in the Exploration Department. His death, as a result of what appears to be a senseless and criminal act, is a loss to us all,” the spokesperson said.