Ambergris Caye Caye Caulker HELP! Visitor Center Businesses
BelizeNews.com BelizeSearch.com BelizePhotographs.com Lodging


Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
A fisherman living on Caye Caulker is missing and police and authorities on the small island have launched a search and rescue operation. Caye Caulker police are reporting that the missing man was with three others who went fishing at 8AM today, September 19th.

According to police the missing person, a 55 year old fisherman originally from San Ignacio, was fishing with Donicio Edwards originally of Santa Elena - Cayo Valentin Verde of Sarteneja Village - Corozal and Jimmy Andrews (origin unknown). According to Inspector Jesus Palma of Caye Caulker Police Station, Edwards reported to the police that sometime around 9AM, while free diving for fish near the South Channel area off Caye Caulker, they noticed that one of their companions had not returned to the vessel. They immediately began searching for him but their efforts were fruitless. They returned to the island where the police were notified and a search and rescue effort was launched.

Inspector Palma said that since the report, a joint team from the Fisheries Department based on Caye Caulker and local police officers arePolice search for man lost at sea-6 out on high seas conducting search and rescue operations. So far those efforts have been unsuccessful. "My understanding is that the missing person is an experienced fisherman and his companions believe that there is a possibility that he drifted into high seas, and may be alive. Thus, our search effort continue," said Palma. According to police, the weather was not the best off the coast of Caye Caulker as there was a small craft warning for the coastal waters of Belize.

While police would not release the name of the missing fisherman until the family is properly notified, Palma said that the police have requested the assistance of the Belize National Coast Guard but have not received any positive feedback.

San Pedro Sun

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
UPDATE Sept 20, 2013: Fisherman swims to shore after floating for 16 hours

The search for a missing fisherman living on Caye Caulker Village ended on a positive note. According to police, 55 year old Onocisero Hernandez was able to swim to shore after floating for over 16 hours.

Inspector Jesus Palma of the Caye Caulker Police Station told The San Pedro Sun that sometime around 1:20 AM on Friday September 20th, Hernandez swam to the beach on the southern part of the Caye Caulker. "He said that while diving, because of weather condition, he drifted outside of the reef. Hernandez indicated that he remained in the water the entire time and attempted to swim to Caye Chapel but because the current was too rough, he decided to just remain outside of the reef until the conditions calmed down," said Palma.

Police launched a search and rescue operation yesterday after Hernandez was reported missing by his three companions, Donicio Edwards, Valentin Verde and Jimmy Andrews. The three told police that they became concerned when Hernandez did not returned to the boat after free diving for fish for over an hour. The four fishermen were in the South Channel area off the eastern coastline of Caye Caulker. It is believed that the rough seas contributed to Hernandez drifting outside the reef.

After he swam to shore, Hernandez was examined by a doctor who found him to be in good health condition. He had a small wound to his feet where he made contact with the reef.

San Pedro Sun

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
A FISHERMAN'S FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL - 19 HOURS AT SEA!

A Caye Caulker fisherman, 55, survived a 19-hour ordeal at sea after strong currents and wind washed him out to sea.

Onocisero Hernandez and his three friends were diving and fishing at about 8:00 Thursday morning in the open sea in the Caye Caulker area when he went down and did not resurface. His companions, Donicio Edwards, Valentin Verde, and Jimmy Andrews, became frantic and tried to find him, and after their efforts failed, the three friends went to the Caye Caulker Police Station and reported Hernandez missing.

An immediate search to find him was mounted, which included the Caye Caulker police and the Fisheries unit, along with fishermen and friends.

However, the search was fruitless. What they didn't know was that at about 2:30 Friday morning, after floating for over 19 hours, Hernandez was able to swim to the southern area of Caye Caulker.

Sergeant Delvin Zuniga, Deputy Commander of Caye Caulker police, said that Hernandez told them that while he was diving with his friends that Thursday morning, he was swept away by a strong current because of weather conditions, and drifted outside the reef.

Hernandez said that he remained calm, and tried to swim back to Caye Caulker, but the conditions and the current were against him, so he waited for conditions to change. He said that when the conditions changed on Friday night, the current and the wind swept him to Caye Caulker.

He was taken to the Caye Caulker Medical Center, where a doctor examined him, and he was found to be in good health, although there were small cuts on his feet due to his contact with the reef.

Amandala


Link Copied to Clipboard
March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Cayo Espanto
Click for Cayo Espanto, and have your own private island
More Links
Click for exciting and adventurous tours of Belize with Katie Valk!
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 271 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums44
Topics79,199
Posts500,011
Members20,460
Most Online7,413
Nov 7th, 2021

AmbergrisCaye.com CayeCaulker.org HELP! Visitor Center Goods & Services San Pedro Town
BelizeSearch.com Message Board Lodging Diving Fishing Things to Do History
BelizeNews.com Maps Phonebook Belize Business Directory
BelizeCards.com Picture of the Day

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5