Ladyville residents drown in Vista Del Mar and St. George’s Caye

Victor John Foreman

Swimming is as much a part of the Easter tradition as fish and hot cross buns. But the sad reality is that it has also become common for several drowning incidents to be reported in the news on the Tuesday after the festivities. And this year is no different. Three Ladyville residents lost their lives in separate incidents during the past three days. News Five’s Delahnie Bain visited the grieving families today and has the details on two of the victims in the following report.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

Several families in Ladyville are grieving after the unexpected and untimely demise of their loved ones during the Easter weekend. In the first incident, nineteen year old Victor John Foreman drowned while swimming with relatives in the Vista Del Mar area. He was overpowered by the currents in one of several dredging holes in the area.

Theresa Calderon, Mother of Victor Foreman

“My entire family went out to have a family fun day and they went out and they were playing and bathing right. And apparently they went out too far. One of the main things that was shocking to us is that we didn’t know that there were some dredging holes out here and apparently one of the children, my niece, fell into the hole and she screamed for help and everybody went. Then it so happened that everybody was in the same situation, drowning because apparently when you go in this hole it pulls you down and it has a current. Apparently they thought that they put him into safety. They asked him if he was okay, if he can stand up and he said yes. But you can’t see underneath so he went right back in accidentally and his little brother was watching him and he said mom I saw him but I couldn’t go help him. If I went I would have been in the same tragedy and I had to save myself. I said don’t you feel guilty; I don’t want anyone to feel guilty. It’s a tragedy, it shouldn’t have happened but it did and I thank everyone who assisted us because we found the body very quick.”

Theresa Calderon

Foreman’s mother, Theresa Calderon, is pleading with the authorities for buoys to mark dangerous areas in the water because her son was killed in a popular swimming spot.

Theresa Calderon

“I’m doing this interview because I want markers to be put out there. I’m living in Ladyville so long and never knew these things existed out there. Please put some markers and children please listen to your parents—not that they were disobeying, they were just having fun and they didn’t know the danger that lurks out there. Please put permanent markers around those things and advise and tell people about the danger that’s out there because that’s a spot that everybody goes to bathe. I have been doing that from I was a child and never knew that was out there.”

Herbert Moore

And on Monday, a fishing trip with four Ladyville residents also ended tragically as forty-four year old Herbert “Pappy Dread” Moore lost his life at sea. His neighbor says, Moore, a skilled diver, drowned after he went down to untangle his fishing line.

Voice of: Friend of Herbert Moore

“We went out looking for a nice fishing area but what happened was that we weren’t finding any nice fish in the area of Chicken and Head and we went all the way to St. George’s Caye near the reef. And what happened is his hand line got hooked up and he decided to go down and untangle the line. He got through untangling the line and resurfaced and we saw him on top of the water and at the same time I was reeling up his line his wife, Ms. Mary, said Pappy is taking too long in the water, what happened. He came up back and he went down. So I decided to jump in—it was about thirty-five feet of water and I jumped in with no mask, no fin to see if I can see him.”

Friend of Herbert Moore

When Moore could not be located, the Coastguard was called and help came from both Caye Caulker and Belize City. But they weren’t equipped to attempt a rescue.

Voice of: Friend of Herbert Moore

“They came with the diving team and everything but they didn’t have any equipment which is quite hilarious because there was no way of assisting my neighbor. At this time we were still panicking when I we couldn’t find the body. We didn’t know if he was on land or if he swam to shore or if it was game. We really couldn’t believe because it’s something we didn’t really expect to happen. I would say about three and a half hours later he came up. They had this guy Frank Pandy, thanks to Sea Sport Belize which is the diving team from St. George’s Caye along with one of the Coastguard divers, they came and they found the body. It was so sad to see, Mr. Pappy a very nice man in his arts.”

It has not yet been determined what caused Moore to drown, but his wife believes he was following a sea turtle. Delahnie Bain for News Five.