Community Rallies After Van Crash Injures 12 Students and Teachers

The villagers of Caye Caulker were in disbelief on Friday evening as twelve of their very own were victims of an accident.  Once the news was digested, the village was in prayer and had launched multiple fundraising efforts to ensure that the two teachers and ten students would be given unhindered medical care.  It was after four o’clock on Friday when the group was headed to Orange Walk Town for the basketball regional competition.  As they approached mile 41 on the Philip Goldson Highway, the Ford 350 passenger van they were traveling in experienced a double tire blowout.  It sent the vehicle flipping multiple times until it finally landed on the driver’s side, severely damaged and dented.  All the passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries and were taken to the Northern Regional Hospital.  Three of the teenagers, however, were later transferred to Belize City facilities due to the severity of their injuries, particularly, 18-year-old, Alexander Bainton; 17-year-old, Gilbert Teck, and 16-year-old, Gevan Canelo.  It was quite a somber weekend in Caye Caulker as family, friends, and stakeholders of Ocean’s Academy joined together in support.  We now join Reporter Benjamin Flowers for the efforts launched on the island and beyond.

The other victims in Friday’s incident are 30-year-old, Zane Zuniga who was the driver; 28-year-old, Rebecca Teul, the chaperone teacher as well as the students: 14-year-old, Harlon Blease; and Jarrel McFarlane; Kare Jimenez; Jayden Young; Ronnie Sosa – all 16-years-old; Giselle Alvarado; and James Patt – both 15-years-old.