Eight San Pedro residents were involved in a boating accident on Wednesday afternoon, February 28th, prompting the Belize Coast Guard (BCG) to conduct a search and rescue operation between the Turneffe Atoll and English Caye. The operation managed to locate everyone; however, one of the islanders did not survive the ordeal. The deceased was identified as Sylvio Camara, a former teacher from San Pedro.
The cause of the accident, which led to the boat capsizing and the reported drowning of Camara, is yet unknown. The BCG noted that the incident is under investigation, and a report will be released soon by the Belize Police Department. The initial investigation as the BCG is that captain 63-year-old Armando Graniel manned the San Pedro boat crew. The other boatmen included Angel Coy,19; Ronald Landeros, 23; Jonathan Torres, 18; Avimael Chuc, 37; Mynor Herrera, 31; and 31-year-old Jason Magaña.
Most of the crew did not suffer any significant injuries except for one. Magaña was severely injured and, according to the BCG, was transported to Belize City for medical attention. He is listed in critical condition. The BCG briefly said that when they rescued everyone, they noticed Camara’s motionless body. Attempts were made to resuscitate him, but these were futile. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of his death.
One hypothesis as to what may have caused the boat to turn over is the reported choppy weather at sea. A few boaters near the area of an accident early in the day reported high winds, which led to rough seas throughout the day. As the investigation continues, the Coast Guard advises boaters to be cautious of the weather and exercise all necessary measures before heading to sea.
