Body found floating near Conch Shell Bay

jessica anderson

A fifth person lost his life, but it was not to gun or other violence. The lifeless body of a man was retrieved from the Belize River on Saturday morning, a short distance from the foot of the Bel-China Bridge.  Residents of the Conch Shell Bay area in Belize City were alerted to the scene when a group of children playing near the river bank came across the partially submerged remains of the Hattieville resident, identified only as Boca Cadle.  Cadle is believed to have drowned when he fell into the river a few hours prior to the discovery.  This morning News Five spoke with Jessica Anderson who lives in the vicinity where Cadle’s body was found.

Jessica Anderson, Resident, Conch Shell Bay

“I sit down by my door di eat and I see two lee bwai pass the door. They come back yah so come play. One ah deh pass back by my door and said “Miss wa dead body deh back ah yo house. And so I seh stop play. But he just seh that and he gone so I think he mi di joke. When I come by the door and I look by the water side, I see the top part of a body like wah back. So I seh that can’t be wah real man. I gone and I look down so I see that dah wah lee old man. I tell my granny wah dead man deh back yah—wah dread man. I holla tell my cousin. I haul out my phone instant and I call the police and I tell deh we just find wah drowned body. We seh Conch Shell Bay because as you seh Conch Shell Bay, the police deh reach yah quick. The police deh come, they haul up the body. Well we noh sure dah who. We always see the man the walk aroudnw ith wah old stick. We noh really know his name. We always see ahn. It look like ih gone use the bathroom dah the water side and drop and drowned because ih pants deh down and ih shirt loose. So we noh really know weh gone on. But according to the police, they say it look like ih drowned from the night. But ih look like the body drift come from somewhere bout and come stop there so cause the current mi di come this way the morning so dah musi from up dah side deh ih drowning. But we noh really sure weh happen.”

According to residents Cadle frequented the Conch Shell Bay area and was often seen walking with a cane.  No signs of violence were observed on his body and as such police do not suspect foul play.