American Tourist Dies In Boat Incident Off Coast of Ambergris Caye

An American family vacationing in Belize is mourning the loss of a loved one. What was supposed to be a tropical getaway for the family of seventeen-year-old American student Logan Ceylon Pratt and her family ended in tragedy. The teenager was swimming in the ocean off the coast of Ambergris Caye when she was hit by a boat causing fatal injuries. News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a closer look.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

An American student died in a mishap at sea while vacationing in Belize. Shortly after three p.m., seventeen-year-old Logan Ceylon Pratt was swimming along the shores of Ambergris Caye, five miles north of the island in the Mata Grande Area, when the tragedy occurred. A boat belonging to Belize Pro Dive Center Limited collided with Pratt while she was swimming, fatally wounding the American teenager. The captain of the ship, thirty-year-old Tour Guide Jesse Smith, told police that he was on his way back from a tour at Mexico Rocks, located some eight miles north of the island, when suddenly he heard a noise as if the boat had hit a log. He says he turned around and saw Pratt suffering from multiple injuries to her body. Boat captain Smith also saw a second female in the water screaming. Police detained Smith, and a urine sample was taken from him. Up until late this afternoon, Smith was still in police custody. Logan Pratt’s body was transported to Ambergris Hope Clinic, where doctors pronounced her dead at around three p.m. Pratt and her family arrived in Belize on Sunday, February twelfth. They stayed at a hotel on the south side of the island. We reached out to Belize Pro Dive Center Limited for comments and were informed that their spokesperson was not in today. We note that Belize Pro Dive Center has in the past received service recognitions from the Belize Tourism Board and Trip Advisor. In the meantime, the US family on vacation in Belize is mourning the tragic death of their loved one.

Paul Lopez for News Five.