Last night we told you about the three men who left Belize City on Thursday 21st of October, en route to Blue Field Range Caye when they experienced mechanical problems. They got caught in the center of Hurricane Richard's fury when the storm passed over Belize on Sunday Night.
They were tossed from the boat and two days later Edmund Forte washed up at Spanish Look Out Caye and was rescued by the employees of Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure Lodge.
Tonight we revisit his incredible story of survival:
This is the remarkable footage of Edmond Forte safe on dry land after being adrift for two days - tears of desperate joy:
After he had been stabilized and came back to himself, staff at Hugh Parkey gave him dry clothing, helped him put it on and in that short time it was clear this seasoned seaman had gathered his wits about him.
The staff at Hugh Parkey called in the coast guard which was in the area looking for him. They arrived moments later and Fort was helped to the boat - and the first thing he told the coast guard staff was that he wanted to see his family into a hospital bed:
Edmond Forte
"I want to go look for my family boss, I don't want to go to town."
Still, Forte went into the boat took a deep gulp of water and was on his way. It is an incredible story of survival:
Aldo Perez, Operations Manager - Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure
"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 go into hypothermia and you just die."
He drifted six to 8 miles form where the boat turned over to where he was found.
True to the rugged seaman's code - he refused to be hospitalized when the BERT ambulance picked him up in the city and he went about his business.
And while that story is amazing, there is still great worry for one man missing at sea tonight and great grief for the one found yesterday.
He is 64 year old watchman Arturo Gilharry.
At this time the Coast Guard says that the search continues for Barrington Gomes, the third man who was in the boat with Forte and Gilharry.
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