Young Boy Trapped By Falling House in Lake I
Back to the weekend floods…At least three houses collapsed due to the velocity of the winds that accompanied the torrential rains. For a family in Lake Independence, Saturday night was horrifying. Their house collapsed under them, trapping a nine year old school boy. Duane Moody has that story.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The inclement weather over the weekend dislodged many houses across the city. The heavy downpour and winds ripped the zinc from roofing and in several cases caused some houses to cave in. This wooden structure on Jasmine Street in the Lake Independence area of Belize City has been home to the White family for several generations. But on Saturday night, while hosting a baby shower, the house collapsed with everyone inside.
Ana White
Ana White, Resident
“I mi plan wah lee baby shower for my lee sister because she about to have her baby anytime and everybody was inside the house. We were taking a couple of pictures same time when we just feel a bang. Everybody just start to scream and thing. I just thank god that the roof never come down because we had a good amount of people in the house at the time and everybody mi okay. And ih look like the sudden shock weh mi lee sister get make ih got pain and they had to rush ahn dah hospital. So far right now, ih noh have baby yet, but ih di pass blood and thing. I just believe that god mi deh with everybody last night ina di hard rain. Ina di middle of the rain is when everything happen. This was between ten-thirty to eleven [p.m.] soh.
It was an unexpected event for the family as the mother-to-be was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for medical attention. Minutes after, a most terrifying revelation was made; the house had collapsed on top of a minor. Nine year old Gentle was saved by a sofa that was lodged just beneath the side of the house. He received injuries to his back and arm, but lives to tell the tale.
Earl Gentle Jr., House Collapsed on Him
“I mi deh under the house. I mi di sit down ina wah old chair and my bredda tell me the house di drop and my bredda run. I see the house drop and when I see the house di drop, I run the other side and I run and I drop on the ground by the chair. And afterwards the chair and the house mi deh pan my hand and it mi di hurt my hand.”
Earl Gentle Jr.
Duane Moody
“What mi di go through your head when this happen?”
Earl Gentle Jr.
“My head mi di hurt, my hand mi di hurt and my foot and my back.”
Ana White
“I personally mi di look for my baby because I noh know where my baby mi deh. Dah when dehn conscious somebody mi di bawl. My lee cousin mi deh under the house; dah through deh dehn pull ahn out from. All my pikney mi deh ina the house and I just thank god that everybody safe.”
Duane Moody
“How long have you guys been living here?”
Ana White
“We born yah. We grow up yah…We deh yah years. I twenty-eight right now. I wah twenty-nine, so we deh yah over thirty years. But I guess my granny deh more than that though.”
According to White, the family is now scattered, living with other relatives until some kind of assistance is received to recover the family house.
Ana White
“Right now the whole family just deh over the place just staying with family, friends, anybody weh di help check.”
Later in the day and prior to the announcement by Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Area Representative Mark King visited the family pledging that they will get the necessary assistance.
Mark King
Mark King, Area Rep., Lake I
“We have couple of houses that drop in Lake I, couple of houses that flood and we definitely are trying to move the refugees or the survivors to these shelters. In the case like this where the house has fallen, it depends on the amount of damage that has been done because their safety is first. The family is saying that the house is okay in terms of roofing. They say that they are okay with food and everything. So the only thing we can do now is whenever we start to issue material through NEMO to assist in rebuilding these homes, they will be on that list within a couple of days to start rebuild the homes.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
