Toddler Drowns in Vat

Kelvin Sanchez

There was another tragic death. Sometime after six on Saturday, police were called out to the Krooman Lagoon area at the entrance on mile one and half on the George Price Highway where a one-year-eleven-month old boy was found in a vat situated next to the house. The baby, Kelvin Sanchez, was last seen inside the home, but when they checked for him he was nowhere to be seen. A search of the area led to the tragic discovery. Reporter Andrea Polanco reports.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Baby Kelvin Sanchez drowned inside a vat around six on Saturday evening in a yard in the Krooman Lagoon area at mile one and half on the George Price Highway. The toddler was reportedly last seen inside his grandmother’s house when his father inquired about his whereabouts and that is when they noticed he was missing.

Voice of: Willy Quinocte, Father of toddler

“When I went inside my wife was preparing tea and so I asked where the baby was. She said he deh right beside mi and when I turn around to see him, I conscious he is missing. Then I decided if he is not in the house, because the house nuh have no partition and the only partition is a bathroom because it is an open house. This is the grandmother’s house because our house deh more dah back. And when notice that he is missing, I decided to come to the front to the neighbor to see if he came this side or if he stayed this side  and she said, ‘no he is not around here.”

That’s because the toddler was inside this plastic vat.

Voice of: Willy Quinocte

“Like something just told me just look inna the vat and so when I looked inna the vat, I see a red shirt. I took out my phone and put on the light.”

Reporter

“And you saw your baby inside?”

Voice of: Willy Quinocte

“Lying face down and I jump in the vat and took him out and start perform CPR. I was able to resuscitate him but all he did was spit out the water and I continue do CPR until the ambulance.”

The child was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after. Quinocte says that he doesn’t understand how his son fell into the vat. It was only recently open to catch the rain.

Voice of: Willy Quinocte

“This is what di puzzle me because when I do see him around the verandah he doesn’t’ come near the vat but there are times that he if he is around the vat it is because the dog is there. So, the only thing next thing I could say is that the dog was there and he mi di play with the dog and the dog decided to jump up and frighten him and he just drop in.”

Police say that the height difference between the vat and the house is about one foot.  Information suggests that the twenty-three-month old may have been somewhere on the verandah or could have climbed onto the rails and fell into the vat. But can someone be held responsible for the baby’s death? Here’s what police had to say.

Alejandro Cowo

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

“What we believe is that the house is six feet elevated off the ground and the vat is about seven feet in height, so just about a foot difference in height of the house.”

Duane Moody

“Sir, are you guys looking at whether neglect may have been an issue in this case?”

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“Yes. We have interviewed family members, mother and father, in this matter.”

Reporter

“So, is that a charge that is being contemplated?”

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“We are just waiting on the results of the post-mortem and thereafter we will have all the documents and we will peruse to see what, if any, charges will be upon the parents, if any.”

Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.