7 News Belize

Lost At Sea: One Rescued/One Dead/One Still Missing
posted (October 26, 2010)
In the first segment we told you about Bruce Cullerton's death by jaguar attack - a stunning and unprecedented tragedy - that loss of life is also a statistic: his becomes the first life lost due to events caused by hurricane Richard. And sadly tonight there is another death confirmed. Three men went missing at sea in the Bluefield Range area 20 miles south of Belize City on Sunday.

First, the good news: one of the men, Edmond Ford has turned up alive: he drifted unto the northern point of Spanish Lookout Caye this morning, somehow managed to drag himself to the Hugh Parkey Belize Adventure Lodge which is at the other end of the island where he was administered first aid and given water while the Coast Guard was called.

The coast guard was in the area already searching for the missing men and courtesy of Aldo Perez we have video of those first few moments at the Hugh Parkey facility - and we also have an interview from Lieutenant Gregory Soberanis at the Coast Guard who told us about the search and rescue. First though, we spoke to Perez this evening:

Aldo Perez, Operations Manager - Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure
"The man was out from his dorey, he had been drifting from since Sunday. They fell off the boat the 3 of them and they got separated. He managed to get all the way to Spanish Lookout Caye where our resort is located. Some of our staff found him stumbling onto the island this morning, we brought him over to a sheltered area and we administered First Aid right away and he was badly dehydrated that when he recovered and told us his story."

Andrea Polanco
"So they got stranded and the 3 of them got separated. How did he manage to make his way to Spanish Lookout Caye?"

Aldo Perez, Operations Manager - Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure
"It is just sheer luck I guess. He said he was just clinging on to a piece of lumber and that's what helped him float but we also noticed he had a wet suit which really helped a lot. We are in the dive industry so we really know a lot about this stuff, you have to have some sort of thermal protection such as a wet suit - that kind of helps you a lot, just to keep you alive - keeps you warm otherwise you just goes into hypothermia and you just die."

Andrea Polanco
"You said its 3 of them. What happened to the rest?"

Aldo Perez, Operations Manager - Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure
"I didn't get the full story but apparently they were fishermen, their boat had problems, they anchored behind Bluefield Range and Sunday evening that's when the storm came in and they fell off the boat one by one, he was the last one to fall off the boat apparently."

Andrea Polanco
"So what's exactly the distance between Bluefield Range and Spanish Lookout Caye?"

Aldo Perez, Operations Manager - Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure
That's a good guess I would figure somewhere between 6-8 miles. He did say that he noticed a coast guard boat yesterday, he was waving at them but they didn't notice him out on the channel."

Andrea Polanco
"So at this time one of them is still missing, being out there do you guys think that he has chances of survival?"

Aldo Perez, Operations Manager - Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure
"As seasoned fishermen I think they have a good chance of survival because this guy is a strong swimmer but as long as you have the will and if he is equipped with a wet suit because without that he has very little chance of making it."

Lieutenant Gregory Soberanis, Belize Coast Guard
"2 other persons were missing, we got the call yesterday evening just before 4 o' clock, that is when the commandant directed that the search units be deployed to commence searching for these individuals in the Bluefield Range. Under the directions of the commandant additional search units were deployed to cover that entire area, an area of 15 miles by 30 miles and at about 3 o' clock one of the search units have found one of the individuals who was missing."

Andrea Polanco
"So what are the chances of surviving a category 1 hurricane in a small boat?"

Lieutenant Gregory Soberanis, Belize Coast Guard
"Well Mr. Edmond Ford have survive hence the reason why there is the possibility that the individual who is yet to be found may still be alive. So hence we continue with our search efforts."

Andrea Polanco
"At what point will the Coast Guard call off its search efforts?"

Lieutenant Gregory Soberanis, Belize Coast Guard
"That will be a directive from the commandant, until such time we continue with our efforts to try and locate the missing individual."

So tonight, the search continues for one man who is still missing. His name has not been released.

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