One dead, one missing in boating accident
It was a huge crowd that descended on the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Independence for what proved to be the final game in the national professional football championship. And while rain made that field a soggy mess it also made the post-game boat ride across the lagoon for hundreds of fans from Placencia both uncomfortable and dangerous. That danger proved all too real for almost a dozen Belizeans who were passengers in two boats that collided around ten on Saturday night. Two of those passengers, Clifford Atherley and his five year old son Nigel, were among those thrown out of one of the boats upon impact. The body of the five year old was found this evening floating near the crash site and while there is still no sign of Clifford, hopes are slim that he could have survived. Also on board the ill-fated vessel were two employees of Love F.M.: Manuela Ayuso and William Usher. The pair had just finished broadcasting the football game and were heading back to Placencia to cover Lobster Fest. Usher told News Five that at the time of the accident it was drizzling and visibility was poor, so by the time he saw the boat it was too late. Usher believes the other boat captain tried to avoid crashing into them, but the vessel still hit the front of their boat. Usher recalls that at the time of the collision Nigel was sitting on his father’s lap near the stern of the skiff. Following the crash he realized he was the only adult left on board with about four children… everyone else was in the water screaming for help. Usher, who has no boating experience, explained what it was like trying to control the vessel and at the same time save the passengers from drowning.
William Usher, Survivor, Boat Accident
?As far as I can remember, my head was down and when I lift up my head I saw the boat and I said, ?boat, boat,? but it was too late.?
Manuela Ayuso, Survivor, Boat Accident
?I felt the impact and I was thrown into the water. Really from the time when I left the boat until the time I hit the water, I really do not know what happened. By the time I open up my eyes I was already in the water trying to keep afloat when I saw the boat coming back towards me, so I tried to get out of the way.?
William Usher
?At that point, the boat began to go in circles and that?s when I look behind me and I saw there were about four kids behind me and I said, ?whoa, I am the only adult on board.? So I ran to the front of the bow to where the steering wheel is and I controlled the boat. When I control the boat the boat began to speed off because it was in motion, so I just slow it down and I shut it down.?
?I did not know how to start back the boat; I don?t know anything about boats. So I ask the little kid onboard, ?hey do you know anything about boats?? He said, ?yes, yes.? So I said let?s get this boat started and lets go back and start moving, and that?s when we went back.?
Manuela Ayuso
?I was still floating on my back, and then I saw them coming towards me and I tried to move a little bit away. And then I saw somebody going in another direction passing me, opposite from where I was going, and so that is when I turned around and I saw a light. Later on I found out that it was William?s phone. He had a Smart phone with a little flashlight and he was flashing it back, because by this time he had made his way back to where we were, near where we were at. And so I started to try to get back to the boat. I was getting tired already; I was very tired by then. I started shouting for William, ?William I am getting tired,? and he goes, ?hold on, hold on,? and he tried pulling up a little girl because a little girl made it back to the boat before me. So after he pulled up the little girl, I couldn?t go anymore because I was swallowing water and I was already tired by then. I had stop floating on my back and trying to make it to the boat and that is when he jumped in the water and came for me. So he grabbed me by one hand and tried to pull me in and goes, ?Swim, you have to help me.? And he was getting tired as well, but as soon as we got closer to the boat the boat started moving again. So he started screaming, ?Don?t go, don?t go.? And they stopped the boat a little bit.?
The Atherley family, Belizeans resident in Florida, had returned home to visit with relatives. Clifford came with the children who are now being cared for by family members in Placencia. His wife and other relatives are expected to arrive in Belize this evening. Driver of the hired boat carrying the Atherleys, which had neither lights nor life preservers, was Adrian Vernon. The owner of the other vessel, Marcus McKenzie, has been detained by police for questioning. McKenzie’s boat did not stop after the collision.
