Hopkins fisherman found floating in sea

Mark Stevens

Dangriga police are investigating the death of a Hopkins fisherman. The body of fifty-seven-year-old Audrick Palacio was found floating in the sea in the southern village sometime around eleven on Monday morning. According to relatives, Palacio routinely went fishing in an area known as Hawaii Bar and when he did not return home on Sunday night, they became concerned. A search team, including residents and the police, combed the area and it was not until the following day that his body was recovered. There were no signs of foul play and it is suspected that Palacio drowned. Acting Officer Commanding Dangriga Police, Assistant Superintendent Mark Stevens, told News Five that an autopsy was scheduled for this afternoon.

Via Phone: ASP Mark Stevens, Acting O.C., Dangriga Police

“Shortly after seven on Sunday night, the Hopkins police received a report of a missing person in the name of Audrick Felix Palacio, a fifty-seven year old fisherman of the said village, who went fishing sometime after four p.m. on Sunday evening in the area that they call Hawaii Bar in north Hopkins. The family members apparently got concerned after he did not reach home at the time that he normally reached home, which was about seven p.m.  Some residents of Hopkins village along with the local police from the area went to do a search in the area and up to early Monday morning, they had only found the bicycle on which Mister Palacio went in the area with. Nonetheless, villagers continued, along with the local police from Hopkins, continued to search the area for Mister Palacio. Unfortunately, around eleven a.m. on Monday, his body was found in the water in the said area that he went fishing. In observing the body, the body itself was intact; there were no signs of violence, except for some bites, we believe it may be from fishes, to certain parts of the head. At this moment, we do not suspect any foul play; we believe it is a case of drowning, but that will be confirmed to us today as the body is expected to undergo a postmortem today in Belize City.”