A Mysterious Drowning Outside of Hattieville
Nigel Welch
Three persons, including his stepfather, are detained for questioning in the mysterious drowning of a Hattieville resident. Twenty-two-year-old Nigel Welch, his stepfather and two others went to an eleven feet deep man-made pond near the Belize Central Prison; soon after, Welch drowned. Those who know Welch say he did not know how to swim so there are many questions as to why he was in the water. His body was retrieved this afternoon. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
This unassuming body of water was once a sandpit where clay and other minerals were extracted for use as landfill. Sadly, it is also the same place where twenty-year-old Nigel Welch lost his life earlier today. This morning, Welch, his stepfather and two other individuals visited the location, approximately four miles away from where they live in Hattieville. It is said that the men accompanied Welch to the pond knew that he could not swim, but somehow he ended up in the water. Shakeem Richards was among the first responders.
Shakeem Richards, Coastguard Diver
“I call my mom. When I call my ma, she seh she noh know weh di happen. Then afta dat she call me back and seh if we could please assist. So I tell the divers dehn weh I mi deh with, “Alright, mek we go so.” My bredda gaan fi fi he car, then he cohn pick up we, then we came to this location.”
By the time they arrived at the scene and were able to retrieve Welch from the pool, he had been submerged for almost an hour.
Shakeem Richards
Shakeem Richards
“When we got to the location they said he just get eena di wata over there. So we gaan een [with] fin, diving glass, searched approximately bout five to seven minutes, we bring up, we find ahn.”
The depth, according to Richards, is no more than eleven feet of water. Not only was Welch unable to swim, but it also appears that he may have gotten tangled beneath the surface. But what was there initial purpose for being here? Some say they came fishing.
Shakeem Richards
“Well as far as I know, as far as I can see, no fish deh een ya, not even bilam.”
And that’s where the story gets a bit murky. Family members say that Welch did not get along well with his stepfather. The other two persons whom they were with were not fond of him either. They allege that something untoward happened that the trio is keeping secret.
Floreth Requeña
Floreth Requeña, Relative of the Deceased
“Four ah dehn mi deh eena di wata. Apparently dehn seh di lee young bwai, I know ih noh know fi swim. Dehn seh ih neva eena di wata, but I noh know how ih get eena di wata. I noh know weh gaan on but I personally hyah dehn have three people da station pertaining to the same crime, pertaining to the same drowning of my cousin.”
Isani Cayetano
“Is there anything to suggest that this would have any element of foul play?”
Floreth Requeña
“I really noh wahn point finga, honestly. But di talking weh I di get di undastanding pan di road is that something wrong. Something wrong sohn weh. Something wrong, something gaan wrong.”
The location is very remote, about two and a half miles off the Boom/Hattieville Road in the vicinity of the Belize Central Prison. There is nothing to suggest on the surface that Welch’s drowning may have been the result of foul play; however, an investigation is underway while the trio of men remains in custody at the Hattieville police station. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
