7 News Belize

Well Known Furniture Builder Dies At Sea
posted (August 1, 2018)

A well-known Belama area furniture builder died at sea this morning. Just after 11:00, 37 year old David Alamilla was heading to St. George's 
Caye with his crew for a job on a 32 foot boat, which was towing a 26 foot skiff, both loaded with lumber. Police say that 1/2 mile away from Moho Caye water entered Alamilla's boat through a side door - causing it to sink.  

Alamilla and his team tried to get the boat afloat but, then, he had an asthma attack. He died in his co-workers arms. This evening we spoke to the co-worker who had been working for Alamilla for 16 years. He recounts Alamilla's tragic end.

Andrew Middleton - Co-worker
"Heading to St. George's Caye, we were going to work out there, build a bodega, then one of the boat, we were carrying the lumber and that sink. All of us was help pulling up this boat, we the pull it in. The captain said how he has a portable machine to pump out the water so the boat no really sink. He gone into the boat, when he went into the boat - when the captain when into the boat we the haul the boat to attach it onto the next boat so we could just leak it out. So when we we're doing that we struggled a little bit, a lot of breeze, some heavy waves, so same time the captain said shutdown the boat, so we shut down the boat, he come up around from the propeller side, so when he came up that side, the wave just lash him. When the wave lash him he drifted out then he started to bawl for a life guard. So we send one of our friend to hurry carry it for him, so by the time he reached the person to carry it for him and he the swim in back the boat is already a little ways from him already and he could have not made it, so Dave grab the life guard and jump and give he it and Dave was trying to take his time and swim in but I notice he wasn't going to make it so I grab one and I hurry jump in to hand him it. When I handed it to him, I was trying to hurry swim in to catch the boat. I'm young and supposed to still strong so I tried swim but can't make it, the boat was already drifted away far, so I spin back and me and he stick together, we hold on, we just rest our hand, we took couple breathes and just try stroke and try survive."

Courtney Weatherburne
"This was when he started to have his asthma attack?"

Andrew Middleton
"Yes, this is when the asthma attack catch him, start froth up and thing and all I do is just hold on him tight enough and just pray somebody come."

Courtney Weatherburne
"I know that certainly it is a difficult thing to have a good friend in your arms like that as he takes his last breathe."

Andrew Middleton
"Yeah, it's sad; just rough."

Baja Shoman - Family Friend
"Definitely shocked the entire family - still shocked trying to come to the realization that this real but it will take some time. We're talking about a man here who has contributed so much through his basketball; he has so many people that have been a part of that. Through his work they have been so many young men that have worked through the furniture shop, he had quite an impact on his neighbourhood and I'm not sure that gap can be filled."

After some time, a team from Belize City went out to rescue them.   Police say his body was brought back to the city around 1:00 pm.  Alamilla leaves behind 2 kids. As you heard he was also a mentor for youth in his community. He coached an inter-office basketball team for years called "No Limits".

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