Coast Guard receives boat donation
The Belize National Coast Guard on Tuesday, January 13th, was presented with a new boat fully equipped with modern technology which will be used to patrol the waters of Belize. A short handing over ceremony took place at the San Pedro Town Central Park. The vessel is highly equipped with electronic equipments that will enable the Belize National Coast Guard to expand on their capability.
First it is equipped with a radar device that sees beyond the normal view with both day and night capabilities. It will enable operators to observe, monitor, track and acquire targets whether it is for a search and rescue mission or for any illegal suspected activities at sea. The navigational equipment will also allow for the vessel to navigate through treacherous waters, where it may track and intercept activities.
Another feature is the modern communication equipment found on the vessel. This would easily allow the vessel to be a command headquarters at sea where it can execute multi-agent operations. With the electronic equipment, the vessel can also support night operations for search and rescue and recovery with its several search light capability.
Additional features of the vessel includes a front ram and a rear winch which will allow the vessel to perform beach landings, load and unload as necessary without delay or the need of a docking facility. As small as the vessel may appear, it has the capability to hold 30 passengers and has a large carrying capacity for cargo transportation.
On hand to receive the one million Belize dollar donation was Belize National Coast Guard Commander, Admiral Cedric Borland. Admiral Borland stated that the vessel would be best suited for patrolling missions whether it is for safety, security or search and rescue missions around the cayes and the atolls. Admiral Borland added that the vessel will be used to regularly patrol the waters of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker.
The donation was made by Dr. John McAfee founder of the McAfee Virus Company, who recently got his permanent residence and is originally from New Mexico, US. Dr. McAfee stated that, "the magnitude of the donation reflects the magnitude of my gratitude to Belize for giving me my permanent residency."
Other invited guests included US Ambassador to Belize, His Excellency Robert Dieter, CEO in the Ministry of National Security, Retired Brigadier General Lloyd Gillette, Commander of the Belize Defense Force, Dario Tapia, San Pedro Mayor, Her Worship Elsa Paz, and Officer in Charge of the San Pedro Police Formation, Assistant Superintendent Dennis Arnold.
San Pedro Sun