Billy White Man Drowns Trying to Save Girl

David Klassen

There’s a tragic story from the West as a young man being hailed as a hero drowned.  Witnesses say David Klassen was trying to save a child in the river when he went under and never came up again. After an extensive search, this afternoon members of the Belize Coast Guard, Spanish Lookout Emergency Response Team, and community members located Klassen’s body. Julissa Montes, a family friend, spoke to News Five via phone.

On the Phone: Julissa Montes, Neighbor of Deceased

“Yesterday, this man that has the corn field down by the river. He came to us and he was asking for David’s wife. But, then I told him we didn’t know where she was. So um then he told us what was happening. He told us that he saw David drowning trying to save a little girl that was drowning. So, we then called my cousin. He lives close by where we live. And, we asked him if he could take us out to the river to see what happened. We came and he took us to the river. And, there was the little girl’s family and they were trying to bring the little girl to this side of the river. And, when they finally got her to this side, they came out. And then, we asked them for David. They said they didn’t know that he is down further. They came home and we stayed behind and then my cousin went into the river with this other guy that reached there. They said they couldn’t find anything because the river was too dirty. We came home and they couldn’t find him.”

Klassen was celebrating his birthday, and his father’s birthday, on the day he drowned.