Exterminator and Older Brother Accidentally Poisoned at Home

Ryan Swift

But the strangest death over the weekend involved one of two Belize City brothers, who are believed to have inadvertently consumed a toxic chemical as they socialized on Saturday afternoon.  Ryan Swift, a well-known exterminator died immediately while his sibling, Steve Swift, remains alive and has pulled out of a coma at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he is receiving treatment.  How that was possible remains under investigation, but it is known that due to the nature of his business, chemicals were kept at Ryan’s house on Central American Boulevard. News Five’s Isani Cayetano went looking for answers today.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Scenes of Crimes technicians, all three donning see-through hazmat suits, exited the lower flat of Ryan Swift’s home on Central American Boulevard on Saturday morning.  One of them carried with her a black plastic bag presumably containing evidence gathered from inside the residence.  The well-known exterminator had been pronounced dead; his older brother Steven lay comatose on the other side of Central American Boulevard, across from where the two had been drinking moments earlier.

ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City

“Reference the incident at the corner of Central American Boulevard, Mr. Swift’s residence.  Police responded to that information on Saturday morning and as a result, upon their arrival they observed Mr. Ryan Swift onboard an ambulance being treated.  Likewise, at the other side of the boulevard there was the other brother, Mr. Steve Swift, likewise in a state of unconsciousness.  Police assisted the BERT personnel by driving the ambulance to the hospital.”

Despite the rush to seek emergency medical attention, the younger sibling would not survive the ordeal.  It is believed that both men may have ingested a deadly poison while they were hanging out together that morning.  Ryan Swift was known to keep chemicals used for pest control on his premises.  How it may have gotten into their cocktail is anyone’s guess, but it is not being ruled out by investigators.

Alejandro Cowo

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“Yes it’s a possibility, as we found other pesticide materials around the area and we know that they were, earlier in the morning they were dealing with some mixture of chemicals prior to the incident happening.”

Acquaintances of the Swifts told News Five off-record that it wasn’t unusual for the pair to gather downstairs for drinks in their leisure.  The quickness, with which the toxic substance reacted, sent the brothers into bouts of convulsion.  The symptoms of poisoning, according to police, also included difficulty breathing.

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“Mr. Ryan Swift did not make it alive at the hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival.  Mr. Steven Swift is still admitted in a critical condition at this moment.  The information that we have gotten so far is that they were socializing at the lower flat of their house in the open area.  But when the police checked they found several containers containing suspected liquor that they were consuming.  Also, the house was checked inside, the two floors, the lower and the upper, where police found a number of pesticides and other kinds of poisonous materials inside of the house.  So far it is, we suspect that it’s a death investigation that we are dealing with.  We do not believe that any foul play is suspected at this moment.”

It is expected that specimens will be tested in order to provide a toxicology report during the autopsy.

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“Yesterday the investigating officer was able to retrieve blood from Mr. Steven at the hospital and for the post mortem, likewise the doctor will be collecting samples so that it be sent to the lab for testing so we can definitely say what kind of poison or if any poison was used or they consumed any poison that caused the death, but we have to wait until the post mortem results [come in].”

Ryan Swift, despite being one of the go-to guys to get rid of vermin, was also an avid supporter of the United Democratic Party.  The banner of his Pickstock Area Representative flies proudly in front of his home, long after Sedi Elrington had won the 2015 general elections. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.