The worse is feared for a man who is missing in the seas of Southern Belize.
Two 33 year old’s Devon Portillo and Karim Eiley went fishing in a 23
foot Mexican skiff with a 50 horsepower engine on Thursday morning from Mango
Creek in the Stann Creek District.
Their boat capsized due to rough seas on Thursday afternoon within sight of
Ranguana Caye. Eiley clung unto the cover of an icebox while Portillo swam for
Ranguana Caye. Eiley was rescued the following by a passing yacht which sent
out a mayday call to the Coast Guard Base at Hunting Caye. They took Eiley who
was conscious and able to speak to Placencia and from there he was transferred
to Belize City – where he required treatment for an injury to his leg.
He reportedly passed away on Sunday as a result of that injury.
And while Eiley died on land, nothing is known of Portillo – apart from
the fact that he did not make it to Ranguana Caye. The BDF, Coast Guard, Fisheries,
Tide and other NGO’s have been combing the southern waters looking for
him all the way down to the Sapodilla Caye range. Eiley told them Portillo was
wearing a red pants and an orange life jacket and did not have on a shirt. 96
hours have passed and the Coast Guard says that it continues to search the area
– and will do so for at least three days more.
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