Search Continues for Man Missing in Belize River After Canoe Capsized

Search efforts continue today for a man who went underwater in the Belize River in the Valley of Peace area.  Reports say that at around two thirty yesterday afternoon two men were in a canoe when the vessel capsized.  One of the paddlers was able to resurface but search and rescue efforts had to be put into effect immediately.  Responding to the area were members of the National Emergency Management Organization and the Belize Search and Rescue Team (BSART).  Thomas Rivers of BSART spoke with our Belmopan correspondent on the search efforts.  

Thomas Rivers, Member, BSART: “When we got the call we were deployed like about half an hour after that. We had the assistance from NEMO who picked us up with our gear. We also got in touch with our counterpart, which is a Spanish Lookout Rescue Team  who has the divers. They got here about the same time that we arrived at the location. The solid information we got that there were four people in a canoe coming across the river and they got caught in one of the tide and the rip current and two of the guys actually freaked out and then the canoe overturned.”

Reporter: So you know to the untrained eye this water looks relatively calm. What exactly would cause a canoe to capsize in this water here? 

Thomas Rivers, Member, BSART: “Seeing the canoe that they were in yesterday, first of all it was overloaded and then I think there was only one guy who was paddling the canoe. When they got into the current and the canoe kind of went off balance, two of the guys actually got frightened, if you say, and then the canoe kind of tipped on the side and started taking in water, and that’s where they freaked out and the canoe overturned.”

Our newsroom continues to follow this story as it develops further.