14 year old drowns in San Ignacio

Johnatan Requena

A teenager drowned while swimming in the Macal River on Saturday.  Fourteen-year-old Johnatan Requena, a resident of San Ignacio Town, was swimming along with a friend in an area between the Hawksworth Bridge and the low-lying bridge when he submerged and did not resurface.  Requena reportedly struggled to remain afloat and when the friend managed to drag him ashore, CPR was immediately administered.  All attempts to save Requena were futile and his body was later transported to the San Ignacio Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at four p.m.  News Five spoke with Inspector Reymundo Reyes who says that the body is awaiting a post mortem examination.

Inspector Reymundo Reyes, Deputy O.C., San Ignacio Police

Reymundo Reyes

“Saturday, sometime after three-forty p.m. San Ignacio Police were called between the Hawksworth Brdige and the board bridge where the lifeless body of a male person was seen on the river bank.  The person was identified as Johnatan Requena, fourteen years old of San Ignacio Town and information is that he and other friends were swimming at the Macal River when his friend saw when he went into the water and all of a sudden he started to struggle to stay on top of the water but he submerged.  And with the assistance of people who were close by his body was, the person was immediately retrieved out of the water but even though CPR was conducted on him it was futile and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the San Ignacio Town Hospital.”