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British Olympic silver medallist Germaine Mason has been killed in a motorcycle crash in Jamaica early on Thursday morning.

The Jamaican-born high jumper was heading into the island's capital, Kingston, at around 4.20am when he reportedly lost control of his Honda CBR motorbike. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The 34-year-old is believed to have with several other athletes, including his close friend track star Usain Bolt, before the crash.

Mason, who has a five-year-old son, competed for Great Britain in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and won a silver medal in the high jump event.  

Retired Olympic high jumper Germaine Mason has died in a motorcycle crash in Kingston, Jamaica

The Jamaican-born high jumper was heading into the island's capital, Kingston, at around 4.20am when he reportedly lost control of his Honda CBR motorbike, pictured above following the crash

 The 34-year-old is believed to have been riding in the front of a convoy along with several other athletes, including his close friend track star Usain Bolt

The high jump star, who was born in Kingston, lived in Jamaica but has dual nationality because his father is English and was chosen to represent Britain in 2006.

Mason had been with several athletes, including 100m and 200m world record holder Bolt, 2005 world championship 100m silver medallist Michael Frater, and former Bolton defender Ricardo Gardner before Thursday's crash occurred. 

He crashed his motorbike along Sir Florizel Glasspole Boulevard, in St Andrew's Parish, southeast of Kingston as he headed into the city.

'He allegedly lost control and fell from the motorcycle. The police were summoned and Mason was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead,' the Jamaica Constabulary Force said in a statement. 

It is believed the other athletes stopped at the scene following Mason's crash, according to the Jamaican Gleaner. 

Frater told Reuters he went to the scene after hearing about the accident, and waited there until an ambulance arrived.

Mason competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (pictured above) and won a silver medal for Great Britain in the high jump event

Mason, who was born in Kingston, lived in Jamaica but has dual nationality because his father is English and was chosen to represent Britain in 2006. He is Jamaica's national record holder for the high jump event

Aside from his Olympic silver, Mason had several other wins. He received silver at the Junior World Championships in Chile in 2000, bronze at the Junior World Championships in Jamaica 2002, and bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest in 2004

His Olympic success was by far the standout achievement of his career, with his jump of 2.34 metres equalling his personal best and putting him in behind Russia's Andrei Silnov, who took gold

'I´m just devastated at the news, he was a friend from high school days ... still can´t believe this,' said Frater, who once shared an apartment with Jamaican-born Mason in Kingston.  

An agent for Bolt, who was also believed to have been there, has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

Bolt was in an accident of his own in 2009 when he flipped his black BMW. He escaped nearly unscathed, only needed minor surgery after stepping on thorns while getting out of the wreckage.

Mason died still holding Jamaica's national record for the high jump event, at 2.34m, or 7.67 feet.

Before migrating to the UK, he trained with the Stephen Francis-coached MVP Track Club. He then moved on to train with Great Britain to prepare for the 2008 games. 

Mason continued to compete until he retired from the sport in 2016. 

Following his retirement, he returned to Jamaica to live closer to his family and friends.  

Before migrating to the UK, Mason, who has a five-year-old son, trained with the Stephen Francis-coached MVP Track Club. He then moved on to train with Great Britain to prepare for the 2008 games

As news of the crash broke, several athletes traveled to the scene, including track star Usain Bolt. The two men, pictured together in 2016, were close friends

The incident happened along Sir Florizel Glasspole Boulevard, in St Andrew's Parish, just outside Kingston on the Palisodoes main road

As news broke of Mason's death, several athletes poured out tributes on social media, including Johnson Thomson and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Ennis-Hill tweeted: 'This is just awful. Such sad news', while Linford Christie wrote: 'Heart goes out to friends and family of Germaine Mason on this sad day. RIP Germaine. Never forgotten.'

The news stunned Jamaica, a country that takes particular pride in its relatively large number of standout athletes in track and field.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted: 'Our sincere condolences to the entire sporting community.'

Aside from his Olympic silver, Mason had several other wins. He received silver at the Junior World Championships in Chile in 2000, bronze at the Junior World Championships in Jamaica 2002, and bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest in 2004. 

But his Olympic success was by far the standout achievement of his career, with his jump of 2.34 metres equalling his personal best and putting him in behind Russia's Andrei Silnov, who took gold.

Mason had lost his lottery funding a year earlier because of underwhelming performances, but stormed back to snatch a medal in China.

He was seen celebrating at trackside in Beijing with Bolt, who said at the time: 'We've been friends since 2002 and I'm very happy for him.

'He had knee surgery and he's coming back now, so I'm happy for him. To me, it doesn't really matter who he runs for.'

Team GB and the British Olympic Association said it was 'sad to hear' about Mason's death on Thursday. 

'Team GB are incredibly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Olympic medallist Germaine Mason,' Team GB said in a statement on Facebook. 'Rest in peace, Germaine.' 

Bill Sweeney, Chief Exec of the British Olympic Association said: 'The whole of the BOA is incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Germaine Mason. 

'Germaine was a great athlete, an Olympian and a silver medal winning part of Team GB who made history at Beijing 2008.  

As news of the crash broke, several athletes traveled to the scene, including track star Usain Bolt and multiple international medallist Michael Frater

It appears as though the high jumper had a number of motorcycles and off-roading vehicles

Mason's pal Usain Bolt is known for his own love of motorcycles. He's pictured above in August 2016 taking training session in London

'Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time.' 

Team Jamaica also released a statement following Mason's death. 

'Our deepest condolences to Germaine's friends, family and teammates. R.I.P.,' the statement said.  

Mason was one of only four British athletics medallists at the 2008 Games but faced major setbacks in and out of the sport in the subsequent years. 

Knee surgery at the end of the year wrecked his winter preparations and then his brother, Andre, was jailed for his part in a gang murder of a 22-year-old student in west London. 

His death comes less than four months after two other British athletes were seriously injured in a motorcycle crash in Tenerife.

Sprinters James Ellington and Nigel Levine were warm weather training in the region when the crash occurred. 

Ellington suffered serious hip and leg injuries and is still fighting to save his career.