And while that was a death at sea, a teenaged tourist narrowly avoided that fate when she survived a shark attack in southern waters.
Yesterday's incident out at Half Moon Caye involving 15 year old Sofia Carlson has left the nation stunned, and concerned as to how this could have happened. The Minister of the Blue Economy says that their main concern is the wellbeing of the victim.
Andre Perez, Minister, Blue Economy
"It was an unfortunate situation. I want to say that this is perhaps the first time ever recorded an attack, as such. According to, yesterday, I think one of the most important things I want to share right now is that we are being informed that the victim is okay. She is alive and she made it. What is the damage? We don't know as yet. But certainly it is a very unfortunate situation. We are very saddened by it, but I want to highlight that this is something that is very rare and I don't think this is the time for us to say, you know we won't go swimming again or something. There must be some other reason what had happened, but it is too early to say right now."
Reports from the coast guard are that the Belize Dive Pro company out of San Pedro had just finished a dive between Hot Caye and Halfmoon Caye with a group. After the dive, Carlson jumped into the water and that's when sharks attacked her. She was rescued and tended to at the Coast Guard FOB until an Astrum helicopter arrived. But that's also when photos were taken of her being stretchered away.
And those photos were posted to the internet and spread like wildfire on facebook, capturing the gory extent of the victim's wounds. Perez expressed outrage at that.
Andre Perez, Minister, Blue Economy
"I think the only part that I must call out and condemn in the strongest of terms is that there were certain members of the media how they handled it. I am not accusing everyone, but I think that there is a responsibility of the media is very important because we are talking about a family that is hurt right now and you don't want to add anymore injury to them. And I think that is a disservice, and I stand here, condemning it in the strongest of terms, to be sharing all those graphic pictures, totally inconsiderate."
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