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The Belize City morgue is full tonight after a devastating 6 hours last night between 6:00 pm and midnight. 9 people were shot – two of them fatally – and 6 bodies were deposited at the morgue. 4 of those bodies are from a drowning, and two from gang warfare which erupted yesterday evening. Our first story tonight is about the drowning; it is one of the worst drowning tragedies we’ve ever reported on. Four people are dead – a grandmother and three of her grandchildren. Our team has been on the story since last night and here’s the latest.

Keith Swift Reporting,
It was a grim scene in Western Pines last night as divers from the coast guard emerged with the body of 8 year old Maurice Morgan from the bottom of this pond. His body was placed on the shoreline alongside those of his 11 year old sister Miesha, 6 year old brother Micah, and their grandmother 55 year old Ranalda Morgan.

Roberto Orellana, Belize National Coast Guard
“We recovered four bodies but three already floated and one we found when we dived down to the bottom of the lake.”

The entire family drowned while swimming yesterday afternoon in the pond which is manmade. It used to be a sandpit and though it looks tempting – yesterday it proved to be deadly. In fact the only sibling to survive the unspeakable tragedy was their 5 year old brother Michael who ran from the scene and notified a neighbour.

Albert Morgan Sr., Husband and Grandfather
“He left from there and he went to go sit down at the house step and when the neighbour came in, she saw the little boy so she went to talk to him but she said the little boy couldn’t talk and then she called another neighbour and said the little boy was lost and so it is best we call the police. But then he told them my granny dropped in the creek.”

Ardette Castillo, Neighbour
“He said they went to swim and his granny went into the water and she drowned. So I said my goodness and I held the little boy’s hand and I told him to go and show me where you granny is. So he held my hand he brought me this side so I called Mr. Hislap, one of my neighbours, and told him the little boy told me his granny dropped in the water and she drowned and he said he was going with me. When we reached at this spot, the little boy said see my granny over there. Mr. Hislap said to let him go and check. I stood right here with the child and Mr. Hislap said it is a body and I am not sure if it is Mrs. Morgan. So I went to check and when I check, I peeped in and saw that it was Mrs. Morgan.”

It was indeed the body of Ranalda Morgan along with that of her granddaughter Miesha and later 6 year old Micah. The coast guard was notified, they responded, and dove for the body of the fourth grandchild – 8 year old Maurice.

Roberto Orellana,
“We had to use our technique by using our hands and feet at the bottom of the lake just feeling feeling until we ran into the body at the bottom. Visibility was very bad, it was very poor. On a scale of five I would call it a one.”

The family believes that Ranalda Morgan went with her grandchildren to swim in the lake and that something went terribly wrong.

Albert Morgan Sr.,
“She usually takes them to swim there because she can’t swim so she takes them to the shore part and they would swim in the shallow part. It is not the first time they ever did that. I have a feeling one of the kids went far out and she tried to go for him because when they pulled her out she still had her eyeglasses in her hand, she dead with it, she still has it in her hand. We can’t get it until after the post mortem. But if you go to swim, you don’t go to swim with your eyeglasses. I didn’t think she went to swim. I think she went to try to save them.”

The news of the death of his wife and three grandchildren has devastated Albert Morgan Sr.

Albert Morgan Sr.,
“When I got home last night I walked into an empty house. It is really rough.”

And it’s even rougher on Karl Morgan, Ranalda’s son and the father of the three children that died.

Karl Morgan, Father/Son of Drown Victims
“Currently you have to handle it how it comes. No father or mother should be placed in the situation of burying their children so I am just handling it and take it how it comes. That is just that.”

Keith Swift,
“They always go to this pond, did you ever have a concern about safety?”

Karl Morgan,
“No.”

The family’s grief is compounded because their wounds are still open from December when their brother and son Albert Morgan Jr. was stabbed to death by his common-law wife.

Albert Morgan Sr.,
“This is rough, rougher than when my son died.”

Karl Morgan,
“It is just one thing after the next. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. That is it.”

Albert Morgan Sr.,
“I got to think about it from the positive side. Lord Jesus doesn’t give you more than you can take. If a person sick you expect them to dead but that is different. My son dead sudden, my wife just dead sudden, and I can’t deal with it. It is rough.”

It’s a personal loss for the Morgan family and also for the tightly knit community in Western Pines. Ranalda Morgan retired from the Police Department after 28 years of service late last year as a sergeant and she was well known and respected.

Ardette Castillo,
“Miss Morgan was like a ma to me back here. Whenever I needed anything or had any problems, Miss Morgan would sit down and talk with me and give me positive advice so it is a big loss for me. She was a mother figure from back yah.”

As for the lake in which she drowned, there is an entire network of them in western pines and the Coast Guard says residents should exercise caution.

Lt. Gregory Soberanis, Coast Guard
“It was probably about ten to twelve deep in some areas. Due to the fact that it is basically sand pits that are filled with water, you have various levels at different points in the lake. Sometimes you are in an area that is shallow and then there is a sudden drop to like 9 to 10 feet and then it goes back to three feet again. It is very deceptive from the surface level.”

Ardette Castillo,
“Others come and swim over here.”

Keith Swift,
“But you don’t?”

Ardette Castillo,
“No I don’t. I don’t know to swim so I don’t come around.”

But Ranalda Morgan and her grandchildren did go yesterday afternoon and last night all four left the lake in the pan of a police mobile.

All three children attended Biscayne Government School.