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Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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Tonight, a well-known tour guide Bert Nicholas, known on Caye Caulker as "Ras Creek", is in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit at KHMH. That is after he had to undergo emergency surgery on his brain for injuries he reportedly suffered after getting into a physical confrontation with a police officer attached to the Island's Tourism Police Unit.

7News has been in contact with multiple sources on the Island, including Nicholas' wife, Ann Sanson, who told us that on around 3 weeks ago, he was out on his boat with a number of tourists exceeding the limit of passengers he was allowed to carry.

Officers from the Tourism Police Unit stopped the boat, and told him to desist because he was breaking the Tour guide regulations. The information is sketchy at this point, but reports are that Nicholas and that officer got into a physical confrontation in which one of the tourism police officers allegedly inflicted injuries to his head.

The tourists on the boat, who were watching the scene unfolding, began recording video footage of it, but - reports say - the officer forced them to delete all footage and pictures.

Sanson told us that Nicholas was criminally charged for that incident and also taken to court for it, but the charges were dropped.

She told us that he started complaining of very bad headaches on last week Wednesday, and she realized something was wrong when he became unresponsive on Friday.

He was rushed to the KHMH via airplane on Saturday, after which, doctors at the hospital realized that his life was in danger. Sanson told us that the doctor reported that Nicholas had bleeding in the brain, along with clots which they had to repair. After that, he went into a coma, and he hasn't recovered consciousness since.

As we told you, Nicholas, better known as Ras Creek, is a well-known tour guide, who has been featured on Tripadvisor's website, as a model tour guide on Caye Caulker.

Channel 7


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Many well wishes and prayers for you Ras.

Joined: Feb 2013
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Oh no! We will be praying for Ras and his family. frown

Joined: Apr 2011
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I know very well Nicholas and Anne, Raz Creek is a very special
character he is a kind of tough straycat,he is a survivor and also a fighter,we wish him a fast recovering soon...
QUEBELIZE

Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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Beaten to coma: tourist guide victim of officer?

Bert "Ras Creek" Nicholas

A Caye Caulker tour guide is fighting for his life at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Bert "Ras Creek" Nicholas was admitted this past Saturday after he was beaten allegedly by officers on the island two weeks ago. The motive for the beating is not clear, but his wife says that he slipped into a coma and had to be airlifted to Belize City for medical attention.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Popular Caye Caulker tour guide, Bert "Ras Creek" Nicholas is tonight in a critical condition and on a mechanical ventilator at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after he was beaten allegedly at the hands of a tourism police officer on January eleventh. His common-law-wife, Ann Sanson, says that Nicholas was hit multiple times to the head and face and he was unable to eat for some time. But it wasn't until days later that he slipped into a coma.

Voice of: Ann Sanson, Common-law Wife, Bert Nicolas

"He never told me that he was hit in the head. I knew that he was hit on the lips, but then Wednesday we went on a tour on the boat and he started to complain about a headache and he said that it was where the police had hit him. On Wednesday he had the headache and on Thursday again he mentioned the head and he took some pills, but he still had the headache. On Friday he was sleeping all day, all night long. And I would talk to him but he would only answer with some noise-he wouldn't say a whole sentence. Then on Saturday, I thought he was being lazy, so I said now you have to move from here. It is time to get up and go to work. I tried to get him off the bed and he feel on the floor. I dragged him outside to the steps so he could sit, but he couldn't sit. He couldn't even talk."

Nicholas was airlifted by Maya Island Air to the K.H.M.H. where he underwent surgery on Saturday. He has since been non-responsive and is in the intensive care unit.

Voice of: Ann Sanson

"He is at the Karl Heusner Hospital, he had surgery on Saturday night for about two hours. They did some two holes in his head to draw out the blood. he had a scan and on the scan they saw that he had blood and the doctors was without knowing the story were able to date that the blood was two weeks old. So he had surgery for about two hours on Saturday night and since then he is in the intensive care."

But what could have triggered the assault on Nicholas has not been determined.� Sanson says that from what she has gathered, after docking his boat, Nicholas was allegedly approached by a tourism officer who notified him that his boat was overloaded with passengers. A physical altercation ensued between Nicholas and the officer.

Voice of: Ann Sanson

"I was not on the boat at that time, so I can only report what I was told. The tourism police stopped him at the dock. I don't know the purpose of it exactly, but then he was beaten. He was taken to jail and he was beaten to the head; to the lips and to the head; that's what I understand."

Jorge Aldana

"Was he taken to a medical officer at the time the incident happened?"

Voice of: Ann Sanson

"No they took him to jail. He stayed two days in jail and then the police officer, P.C. King, decided to take him to Court on Tuesday. That happened on Friday, so he was out of jail on Sunday and then by Tuesday he went to court."

Nicholas' family says they want financial assistance to cover medical expenses that continue to grow while he remains comatose at the K.H.M.H.� Duane Moody for News Five.

Channel 7


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Update on Ras Creek from Channel 5 News. Ras is out of the coma!

http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/81741


Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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Ras Creek Comes Out Of Coma

On Monday, we told you about Caye Caulker tour guide Bert Nicholas, known as Ras Creek. He was allegedly beaten by a tourism police officer on the island and ended up in a coma requiring emergency brain surgery. Tonight, the good news is that he is out of that coma - but still in the hospital.

Monica Bodden spoke to his girlfriend who spoke to us off camera and said she wants justice:..

Voice of: Girlfriend
"Right now Creek is still in the ICU but he is doing better. They woke him up yesterday and so far he seems to be good; his legs and hands are moving and his brains seems to be working as well. He recognizes us and we can talk about thing she knows about and people that he knows."

Reporter
"It must be great relief given the fact he has been in a coma for quite some time."

Voice of: Girlfriend
"Definitely, I was not expecting such a fast recovery."

Monica Bodden
"How long was he in coma for?"

Voice of: Girlfriend
"He fell in a coma on Saturday evening. We are focus on him for now and getting him going. We will talk to the family and probably they will take action in the next couple of days. It cannot remain like that, it's just free violence and that's not supposed to be. The police is supposed to protect people and not to beat them up. I don't know what happen, I was not on the boat that day as I say, I cannot say if Creek what happened, but police are not supposed to beat people. They can handcuff him; there are other ways to control somebody. He was doing a tour and there were lots of tourists on the boat. Some tourists video tape the event because they were upset with what was happening and the police ask the tourists to come to the station and ask them to delete the film."

Nicholas, better known as Ras Creek, is a well-known tour guide, who has been featured on Tripadvisor's website, as a model guide on Caye Caulker.

Channel 7


Tour Guide's Hospitalization May Be The Result of Police Brutality

Two weeks ago, on January 11, a Caye Caulker tour guide had an unpleasant experience with a tourist police officer who allegedly lost control and allegedly hit him in the head shortly after he had completed a tour at the Caye Caulker Water Taxi dock. Forty-nine year old Bert Nicholas started to complain about an excruciating headache last week and it got worse with each passing day, until eventually he slipped into a coma. From all accounts, there were several eyewitnesses, who were tourists on Nicholas' boat, but his common-law wife told us today that those visitors have long returned to their countries and alleged that the police had them delete the video footage of the incident they had recorded. But while Nicholas's family and friends hoped for the best at his bedside, on Wednesday, they got the first sign of good news when he awoke from his coma. Nicholas, also known as "Ras Creek", continues to receive intensive care at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

Nicholas has been a tour guide for at least 20 years and his family and friends fear that the severity of the injury will inhibit his ability to continue in that demanding field of work, which requires underwater diving and snorkeling. They are contemplating possibly taking the matter to court.

LOVEFM


Ras Creek emerges from coma

Bert "Ras Creek" Nicholas

There is good news tonight in respect of the health of Bert "Ras Creek" Nicholas, the Caye Caulker tour guide who slipped into a coma last Saturday and had to be airlifted to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. "Ras Creek" regained consciousness on Wednesday and is recovering slowly. Family members say that while he is unable to consume solid foods, he is responding to his environment.� "Ras Creek" suffered a coma days after he was allegedly beaten by tourism police in Caye Caulker. His wife told News Five on Monday that following the assault, he became ill and eventually fell into a coma. According to Ann Sanson, "Ras Creek" was stopped by tourism police at the dock allegedly for overloading his boat on January eleventh. He was beaten on the head and lips and instead of taking him for medical attention; he was jailed for two days. When he was released, he was taken to court. She further said that doctors had determined that injuries to his head were two weeks old. Today she told News Five of his improved condition.

Voice of: Ann Sanson, Common-law-wife

"Right now Creek is still in the ICU but he is doing better. They woke him up yesterday. Less medication so he could wake up. So far he seems to be good, I mean his members are moving, legs and hands and the brain seems to be working as well. He recognizes us; he can talk about things that he knows the boat or people. So we are confident."

Duane Moody

"Did the doctor say if he is going to have any permanent damage or anything like that?"

Voice of: Ann Sanson

"Not for now. Well I said they cut two parts from the right side of the heads. For now he seems to be recovering quite well. So it doesn't seem that there will be some damages because his brain doesn't seem to be swelling. We can just hope for the best. Not as yet. We focus. We keep all our energy on creek for now and getting him well. That's our main focus. We talked with the family and probably take action after the next couple days because that cannot remain like dat. It's just free violence and that's not supposed to be; the police are supposed to protect people and not beat them up. I don't know; I was not on the boat that day as I said; I don't know if creek was talking or what he was doing. I can't say what I didn't see. But in a way even if he was talking. The police are not here to beat people. They can handcuff him and there are other ways to control somebody. He was on a tour; there were lots of tourists on the boat. Some tourist video tape the event because they were upset with what was happening. But the police ask the tourist to come to the station and asked them to delete the film."

�"Ras Creek" is expected to be transferred from the intensive care unit to the surgical ward on Friday and will remain under observation.

Channel 5


Comatosed man wakes up

BERT NICHOLAS

Two weeks ago, on January 11th, a Caye Caulker tour guide had an unpleasant experience with a tourist police officer who allegedly lost control and allegedly hit him in the head shortly after he had completed a tour at the Caye Caulker Water Taxi dock.� Forty-nine year old Bert Nicholas started to complain about an excruciating headache last week and it got worse with each passing day, until eventually he slipped into a coma.� From all accounts, there were several eyewitnesses, who were tourists on Nicholas' boat, but his common-law wife told us today that those visitors have long returned to their countries and alleged that the police had them delete the video footage of the incident they had recorded.� But while Nicholas's family and friends hoped for the best at his bedside, on Wednesday, they got the first sign of good news when he awoke from his coma.� Nicholas, also known as "Ras Creek", continues to receive intensive care at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.� His common-law wife, who spoke to us on the basis of anonymity, said that he is alert, recognizes his relatives and friends and is able to move his hands and legs.

Nicholas has been a tour guide for at least 20 years and his family and friends fear that the severity of the injury will inhibit his ability to continue in that demanding field of work, which requires underwater diving and snorkeling.� They are contemplating possibly taking the matter to court.

LOVE TV



Alleged police brutality lands popular Caye Caulker Tour Guide in critical condition

The Professional Standard Branch Unit of the Police Department has launched an internal investigation into an alleged case of police brutality on the island of Caye Caulker. Well-known tour guide, Bert Nicholas, also known as "Ras Creek", remains in a critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). It is alleged that his injuries came about after a January 11th confrontation with police that resulted in several head injuries on Nicholas. The injuries went unnoticed until Thursday, January 31st when he began complaining of severe headaches.

His common law wife Ann Sanson told The San Pedro Sun that Nicholas was onboard his boat, Heritage Cruze 2 and was brought in from the Caye Caulker Shark Ray Channel to a dock on the island by officers. Sanson went on to say that when Nicholas and his tourists were brought to the dock, a confrontation with members of Tourism Police Unit erupted, eventually leading to the police executing a beating on Nicholas. "He took out a tour around the island because it was one of the tourist's birthday�The tourism police spotted them on the front dock and that is when he was beaten and taken to jail. He was beaten to the head and lips. He stayed two days in jail and then the police officers decided to take him to court on Tuesday (January 15th). He was not taken to a medical doctor he was just taken to jail� He never did tell me he was hit on his head. It was until Wednesday (January 30th) that he began complaining of a bad headache and that is when he said he was hit on the head," said Sanson. She explained that the following day Nicholas' headache got worse to the point that he became unconscious and by Saturday he had to be airlifted to Belize City for medical attention.


According to several residents on Caye Caulker, the tourists on board the vessel managed to capture the incident on their electronic gadgets but were all taken to the Police station, where they were forced to delete the recordings. Sanson explained that so far, Nicholas has undergone surgery to try and remove a blood clot that had been developing in his head for the past two weeks. "Doctor Cervantes, without knowing the story, was able to date that the blood was about two weeks old and he had to be taken for surgery where now he remains in the intensive care unit, in a comatose state," detailed Sanson on Friday, February 1st. She explained that her common-law husband was making very small improvements. On Wednesday, February 6th, the improvements were such that he regained consciousness and continues to improve. While he is unable to consume solid foods, he is responding to his environment.

According to Sanson, no police official has spoken to Nicholas' family members. Nicholas' family is demanding an investigation, as well as the necessary disciplinary actions on the police responsible. "That should never happen. The police should never hit anyone because they should be showing the example. If they have trouble with somebody, they Caye-Caulker-Police-Brutality-3should handcuff the person and bring them under control. They don't have to beat anyone, it makes no sense. They should be showing the good way in which people should behave. We want to see some justice because it is not right," emphasized Sanson. According to the family, they are not only faced with a critical family member but a medical bill that was unnecessary and mounting.

Meanwhile the Officer Commanding Caye Caulker Police Station Sergeant Delfine Zuniga confirmed that indeed Nicholas was detained and charged and eventually taken to court, but could not say under what circumstances. However Sergeant Zuniga said that an investigation into the matter has started as of Tuesday February 4th. He explained that the officers on duty have been asked to submit a duty report and a statement as to what transpired the day in question. The Officer Commanding the Coastal Executive Unite Superintendent of Police Luis Castellanos indicated that the Professional Standard Branch of the Police Department has initiated an internal police investigation into the incident and made it clear that any officer found guilty of wrongdoings will be dealt with. The officer accused, identified only as Tourism Police Constable King, remains on active duty. Castellanos explained that he will remain on duty until a directive from the Commissioner of Police indicates otherwise.

San Pedro Sun


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Marty Offline OP
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I believe in MIRACLES!

It is not often that you genuinely believe that you have witnessed something short of a miracle but I feel that this week has been one of those instances.

One of Caye Caulker's greatest characters, Ras Creek (Bert Nicholas) fell into a coma last Saturday. He had been complaining of headaches and had not moved out of bed for three days and by Saturday his girlfriend realized something was far from correct. Creek was moved to the hospital where it was discovered he had not one but two blood clots on his brain and he was operated on. Doctors removed the clots successfully but felt that his prognosis was not good due to the injury and they worried that he perhaps would at least be disabled or even die.

On Wednesday morning the Doctors decided to 'wake' him up and by the afternoon he was singing and making jokes in the hospital bed!! Improvements have been so speedy that Doctors are now confident that Creek will have a full recovery!!

For me, this is a miracle - this and coupled with the amazing strength and resilience this true champion, pulled Creek from a desperate situation back to life!!! Or perhaps it was the power of prayer - Creek rightly so (due to his enormous heart and his impossibly infectious character) is a minor celebrity and is loved all over the world. The outpouring of international love that were willing him back to health was truly for that of a superstar - truly amazing! He and his rasta boat is synonymous with Caye Caulker and life without here would not be the same.

We do not need to consider life without Ras Creek because as of today he is out of intensive care and on the long road to recovery - and that I feel is a miracle!!

Raggamuffin Tours


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That's great news.

Joined: May 2006
Posts: 538
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For those who don't know, Ras Creek is one of the good guys.

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