A 28-year-old U.S. national and resident of Caye Caulker, Spencer Eisenberg, has been charged with Manslaughter by Negligence following the fatal boating incident of 70-year-old American tourist Jeffrey Le Beau. Le Beau was on vacation in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, and was participating in a scuba diving tour to Turneffe Atoll on Sunday, March 23, when he was struck and killed by a speeding boat.
According to a police report, Le Beau was diving with his son, daughter and wife. The report indicates that the tour guides had marked the diving area to alert nearby boats. Eisenberg’s boat allegedly entered the marked area at high speed and collided with Le Beau, who did not survive the incident. His body was subsequently transported to Belize City.
The police detained Eisenberg while members of the Port Authority investigated the incident. On Tuesday, March 25th, police formally arrested and charged Eisenberg. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams stated before the charge that Eisenberg should have been able to see the markers. The Commissioner added that the boat captain needed to be charged for causing the death through careless conduct.
Eisenberg has reportedly secured legal representation to defend his case. In such cases, the accused is typically remanded to the Belize Central Prison. However, a High Court bail can allow the individual to be released while the matter is resolved through a trial in court.
Le Beau was a defense attorney specializing in manslaughter cases in the United States. Described as an avid waterman, he was originally from Southern California. With 36 years of experience, he was a seasoned lawyer who had worked at both the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office. Notably, he successfully tried over 80 jury trials and handled hundreds of legal motions throughout his career.
