3 Haitian stowaways returned to ship
Desperate circumstances sometimes drive people to take desperate action, and this afternoon officials at the Belize City Port saw first hand what has become routine in places like South Florida and the Bahamas. News 5’s Janelle Chanona reports on the incredible journey of three young boys who spent four days at sea, without food or shelter…all in an unsuccessful attempt to start a new life in Belize.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
As dock workers at the Belize Port Authority cleared this Belize Estate and Company barge late this afternoon, they were surprised to find unexpected cargo onboard…three young boys, stowaways all the way from Haiti.
Milton Cherrington, Sr. Security Supervisor, Port Authority
“You have one that is twelve years old and two that is fourteen years old. They’re from Haiti.”
Janelle Chanona
“Have they been able to communicate at all with you?”
Milton Cherrington
“Well you have the youngest one which is twelve years old that speaks a little English. That’s the one I spoke to and he gave me the information about the other two.”
The youngest child, the only one able to speak English, told the Belizean officials that they had spent the four day journey literally on the back of the ship “Guatemala”, on a small ledge just above the ship’s rudder, clinging for dear life.
Janelle Chanona
“After spending four days aboard the ship without food, they young boys then jumped onto this barge and then spent several hours cooped up in this tiny manhole where they were found later by dock workers.”
Milton Cherrington
“We get the information from the agent that was out there Mr. Lockwood, and he said that they’re been on boat probably four days and didn’t eat any food.”
Janelle Chanona
“What did you give them when they arrived in your custody?”
Milton Cherrington
“When we went to them at the pier they were already eating food. So when we bring them they we totally wet, so the boss went and got some T-shirts for them so that they can change into come dry clothes. We didn’t have them here for quite a long period. We only had there here about half an hour because little after immigration came and start to question them.”
The boys identified themselves as twelve year old David Saint, fourteen year old Gregory Francois and fourteen year old Walner Phillipe, all Haitians. Had the ship been able to dock at the pier head, the boys could have probably jumped into that water and made it ashore.
Despite their desperate attempt to flee their homeland, the boys fate have already been sealed. Just an hour after they were brought to the port compound, Belize immigration officials put them on a tugboat and sent them back to the ship. We are told that as soon as the ship has been unloaded and receives her cargo, she will head back out to sea enroute to Haiti, where the wannabe Belizeans face an uncertain future. Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.
The youths are now tonight aboard the ship, in the custody of her captain. It is expected to sail over the weekend.
