Police reports indicate that on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at 11:30pm a male person called the station indicating that he was lost at sea. At 4:30a.m. today, Thursday, July 19, a 28-foot fishing boat was discovered docked beside Grand Caribe Resort, San Pedro Town.
Three male persons were found in the boat and were transported to the San Pedro Poly Clinic and are now receiving medical treatment. They were all identified as Jamaican fishermen of West Morland including 50-year-old Noel Samuels, 23-year-old Romeo Lewis and 44-year-old Karma Beckford.
Samuels, the boat captain, indicated that they departed from Lucy, West Moreland on June 23, 2018, around 12:00p.m. to go fishing 15 miles off the coast of Negril West Moreland. Samuels stated they were not in service area and started drifting off to open sea. It was after 25 days stranded at sea that they drifted to San Pedro, Belize.
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Lost at sea, three Jamaican fishermen land on Ambergris Caye
A fishing trip out of Negril, Jamaica left three Jamaican Nationals stranded out at sea, drifting to Ambergris Caye on Thursday, July 19th. The trio was identified as 50-year-old Noel Samuels, 23-year-old Romeo Lewis, and 44-year-old Karma Beckford. They reportedly went out fishing off Negril, west Jamaica on June 23rd, but drifted out to the open sea until they arrived on Belizean shores. The trio was assisted by Belizean authorities and taken to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II for a medical check-up.
ADRIFT AT SEA FOR 25 DAYS, Jamaicans Wash Up in San Pedro
This week, 3 Jamaican fishermen are lucky to be alive after being stranded out at sea for 25 days and drifting into Belizean waters. The men, Noel Samuels, 50; Karma Beckford, 44; and Romeo Lewis, 23; left Westmoreland Parish in Southwestern Jamaica at around 12:00pm on June 23 in a 28-foot boat to do some fishing.
They had originally intended to only travel 15 miles off the coast of Negril, but began having problems and ended up drifting.
San Pedro Police got a call about the vessel showing up in Belizean waters around 11:30pm on Wednesday, and mobilized to check out the situation. By 4:30am on Thursday, they had the boat docked beside Grand Caribe Resort in San Pedro Town.
Once docked, authorities took the men to the San Pedro Polyclinic.
The incident is not the first time a Jamaican fishing boat ended up drifting into Belizean waters. In April 2010, a Jamaican fishing boat with two occupants drifted into Belize. They had spent 35 days drifting at sea before being rescued and taken to the Belize Defence Force Hospital at the Price Barracks for treatment.
Up to press time the men were being treated at the San Pedro Polyclinic. It is not yet know what arrangements are being made to return them to Jamaica.
The Reporter