A day of fishing off the coast of Punta Gorda has ended in tragedy. Police are investigating the drowning of sixty-two-year-old Delmore Wagner, whose body was pulled from the waters near Moho Caye late yesterday. According to reports, Wagner—who was reportedly intoxicated—entered the water and never resurfaced. Fellow fisherman David Wade alerted authorities after the group’s search ended in grief. Wagner’s body, which showed signs of abrasions, was taken to the Punta Gorda Hospital, where it now awaits a post-mortem examination. Police say it’s too early to determine whether foul play was involved.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“David Wade, a Belizean fisherman, visited the Punta Gorda Police Station and reported that sometime after five p.m. earlier that day, he was at a fishing camp located at the end of Moho Caye along with Delmore Wagner, sixty-two years old, and other fishermen. Wagner, who was reportedly intoxicated is reported to have went into the water and failed to resurface. Searches were conducted in the water and some hours later, the unresponsive body of Wagner, which displayed some abrasions, was retrieved and subsequently transported to the Punta Gorda Hospital where it now awaits a post mortem examination.”
Reporter
“Is there any foul play suspected?”
Stacy Smith
“The autopsy, the post mortem examination will determine that; however, there were indeed some abrasions observed on the body, however, it is not know how those were sustained at this point in time.”
On Friday, tragedy struck in Red Bank Village when three-year-old Luis Sandoval lost his life while under the care of a relative. According to initial reports, the toddler had been left in the care of a sixteen-year-old family member when he wandered off into a nearby yard. Moments later, he was found unresponsive in a bucket of water. But as the family grapples with this devastating loss, new details have emerged. Loved ones now say Luis was not found in a bucket, but instead suffered what they believe was heart failure. The conflicting accounts have left many with questions and few answers. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith says the official cause of death will be determined following a post-mortem examination. As the investigation continues, the community is rallying around the Sandoval family, offering support during this unimaginable time.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“Police are investigating the death of three-year-old Jose Luis Sandoval, which occurred on thirtieth May. 2025 in the Red Bank Village, Stann Creek District. So far, what investigators have been able to ascertain as it relates to that incident is that Sandoval was left in the care of a sixteen-year-old relative when at approximately three forty in the afternoon because she could not locate Sandoval in the house or on the in the property. she extended her search to the property adjacent to deers, and that search ultimately concluded with the discovery of Sandoval in a bucket which contained water. No visible injuries were observed on sun, naval, and the body now awaits a postmortem.”.
Reporter
“The family is pushing back on the police report. They’re stating that child was not found in a bucket and that the child did not drown, They’re citing heart issues with the child. Police’s response to that pushback?”
ASP Stacy Smith
“Well, certainly the postmortem examination, I believe, will clearly indicate the cause of that conclusively.”
A quiet day in Placencia turned tragic on Tuesday when a man drowned just steps from the shore. Witnesses say the man had been fishing near the beach when, in a matter of moments, he was seen floating face down in the water. One nearby resident didn’t hesitate. He rushed to the scene and desperately tried to revive the man, performing CPR in a valiant effort to save his life. Sadly, it was too late. We spoke with Nevin Duran, who witnessed the rescue attempt. He described the chilling moment he realized something was wrong and the heroic actions that followed.
On the Phone: Nevin Duran, Witness
“I was looking around and like me and my brother race going like towards Barefoot. And we came back that, that took us like five minutes and when we came back we saw the, guy that lives right in front, he was pulling the guy out of the water. We tried to run and asked what happened? And he said I don’t know. He was just perfectly fine swimming and once of a sudden he was just like, face down in the water. It was past like a minute and he was like shocked and went to see if he was fine. He was binging the guy out of the water. I ran to him, me and my brother, and we both asked him like, what happened? And he’s performing CPR trying to bring back the guy. But it wasn’t working. That was going on for ten minutes. And I was just standing there because, I can’t do nothing. I can’t really do nothing. There is like this guy performing CPR and me and my brother just standing there. And so he is okay, one of you guys gotta help me take him to the shade, so my brother didn’t want to really do anything because he like in shock standing there. So I like put my shoes down on my phone. And then we took him to the coconut tree where there was like a shed. And I left him there. The guy that was performing CPR, he continued doing it, so like more people surrounded and they called the police, and the police arrived and they like tried to help the situation, but like I had to come to work, so I left, like right after the police came by.”
At this time, the identify of the victim remains unknown.
A grieving father in Bella Vista is sounding the alarm after a hidden danger in the local river claimed the life of his fourteen-year-old daughter. Eliza Pop was swimming in the river when she suddenly disappeared beneath the surface. Her father, Alfredo Pop, says she stepped into a deep pit dug into the riverbed, one that was far deeper than expected. Despite efforts to save her, Eliza tragically drowned. These pits, often dug with permission for various purposes, are supposed to be around four feet deep. But in this case, Alfredo believes the pit was much deeper and far more dangerous. Now, he’s urging the community to speak out against digging these pits in areas where families and children swim.
Alfredo Pop
Alfredo Pop, Father of Deceased
“They were bathing inside the shallow place, but now when she step several, like three meter from the riverside, she never know that she found a deep place there where the escavator dig almost like 25 feet deep. So when she, when she put the foot now, she sink right in there. So that’s what happened with my daughter, because it’s sad because, you know, I felt a big glass because she’s the only one. Because like I say,if there’s no pit there, I think that could have never happened because, usually it’s so shallow, but because of the digging of the sand, then the reason it’s very deep. Twenty-five feet.”
Britney Gordon
“So you want to warn and caution other people about this danger?”
Alfredo Pop
“Well, exactly, because what I want to tell the people from Bella Vista, we need to come together because what happened, this will not sto. To stop this, make me come together. For who is that pit? I don’t have no idea. I would’ve want advise our people from Bay Vista and make we try to do something about it or the government make it look into it. Because of this, I lost my daughter already.”
Residents are being warned to stay alert and avoid swimming in unfamiliar parts of the river, especially where digging may have occurred.
The San Ignacio community is heartbroken after the tragic drowning of fifteen-year-old Deshawn Nazir in the Macal River over the weekend. Nazir, a promising football player, is fondly remembered by his peers and loved ones. Saint Ignatius High School, where Nazir was a beloved second form student, described him as having a bright spirit and kind heart. The Football Federation of Belize also mourned the loss, highlighting Nazir’s passion for the game, discipline on the field, and the lasting impact he made on those who knew him. The community grieves the loss of a young star whose potential was cut short far too soon.
“On Saturday thirtieth, May, 2025, around 8:55 AM police responded to a report of a drowning by the Hawkesworth Bridge in Cayo. Upon their arrival, they learned that a male person attempted to swim across river and he went under. Searches were conducted thereafter. The lifeless body of a male person was retrieved. He was identified as Deshawn Nazir, fifteen years. He was immediately rendered CPR, taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Information is that Deshawn was swimming with other persons in the area when he went under and thereafter his body was located.”
The tragic death of an eleven-year-old in Guyana has ignited violent protests, resulting in a hotel and a home being burned to the ground. Adrianna Younge, a resident of Tuschen, disappeared on Wednesday while at Double Day Hotel with relatives. The community launched a search party but faced resistance from the hotel owner and law enforcement when trying to thoroughly search the premises. Relatives were allowed to enter late Wednesday night, but their search was unsuccessful. Early Thursday morning, residents gathered in front of the hotel, burning tires and demanding answers from the owner. Shortly after, Adrianna’s lifeless body was discovered in the hotel pool. This discovery sparked a series of events, including the destruction of the hotel and the owner’s home by protesters. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
This shocking video captures the moment when missing eleven-year-old Adrianna Younge was found lifeless in the pool at Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, Guyana. Reports indicate that Younge disappeared around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday while swimming with her family. Her relatives claim that the hotel owner and staff were reluctant to assist in their search efforts. On Thursday morning, protests erupted in front of the hotel, supporting the child’s father, Subrian Younge, just before Adrianna’s body was discovered.
Subrian Younge
Subrian Younge, Father of Deceased
“I tell you all again, like I tell social media, these people in there knows about my daughter, from the staff, to the boss, to everyone that was in there from one o’clock between two o’clock knows what is happening in there. I could move, I could get up from here right now and go home, you all give me my daughter let me go home. The soonest you give me my daughter I will go home.”
Younge’s body was discovered in the pool two hours later. Here’s what Younge’s aunt had to say to a reporter in Guyana.
Aunt of Deceased
Aunt of Deceased
“We were beginning the police to lock down the place so that we can search. They did not do that. A police by the name of Reece said he will lose his job if he does that. Day Day son is claiming that she left. He never offered any sympathy anything. They never allowed us to search as a family until after eleven going unto twelve.”
Videos and images from the late Wednesday night search show that Adrianna Younge was not in the pool at that time. The gruesome discovery of her lifeless body was made by a search party on Thursday morning. Her father, Subrian Younge, is seen jumping into the pool to retrieve her body.
Voice of: Guyana Resident
“We checked this pool. We checked this morning. This girl was not in this pool. This girl was not in the pool. This girl was not in this pool.”
Suspecting foul play, the situation quickly escalated into a violent protest. The Double Day Hotel was looted and later set ablaze. Following the discovery, the father gave an emotional statement.
Subrian Younge
“We search the pool this morning. We searched the pool at six this morning with police. I didn’t go there, but six of my family. They searched the whole building. I was standing there watching them and the pool was righter there. Nobody did not see the body. After ten, my daughter body appeared just so magically, dead. They would have wait for us to go away for them to move the body. But here is what I said, I would have never moved until I see her body. If it was today, I would have stand here today, tomorrow I would have done the same thing. The next day I would have done the same thing, but God.”
Protestors then turned their attention to the home of the hotel proprietors, just three streets away. It was also set ablaze and burned to the ground, while a main road was blocked. Newsroom in Guyana reports that the hotel owner has been detained by police. President Irfaan Ali issued a statement shortly after Adrianna Younge was discovered, announcing the formation of a special team to lead the investigation. He emphasized that the full truth must be uncovered, and no resource will be spared to achieve this. He also requested a detailed explanation from the police regarding their actions since the matter was reported. President Ali visited the family on Thursday evening. The protest continued today as the community seeks answers. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
A tragic incident occurred on Saturday when a student from Edward P Yorke High School drowned just minutes after being baptized in the Sibun River at Gracie Rock Village. Sixteen-year-old Cayden Stewart was on a church trip with other youths from Queen Street Baptist Church. After being baptized, the group planned to go swimming, but the joyful occasion quickly turned into a nightmare when Cayden went under the water and didn’t resurface. His body was found later that afternoon after a frantic search. News Five’s Marion Ali spoke with Cayden’s Principal at E.P. Yorke and his counselor, who recently moved to another school. They described Cayden as a role model—a disciplined, respectful, and ambitious young man who was deeply committed to his faith.
Karen Canto
Karen Canto, Principal, E.P. Yorke High School
“He was like the one that kept them together, as in one person told me that, thatCayden did not hold malice. So even if they quiet, you know, teenagers and go out to each other. By the next day, all is well again, and yes, they’re hurting thing. Yes, they are broken, male, female, but also the teachers.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
The student body and teachers at E.P. Yorke High School are grieving the sudden loss of Cayden Stewart, a fourth form student who was just a few months away from graduating. Cayden tragically drowned on Saturday, only minutes after being baptized during a church trip to Gracie Rock. Samson Jacobs, who had been Cayden’s counselor for the past four years, recently moved to another school but knew Cayden better than most. Despite his young age, Cayden has left behind a legacy and set a positive example for many, both younger and older.
Samson Jacobs
Samson Jacobs, Former Counselor, E.P. Yorke High School
“He was an avid church goer. Even on Sundays when I would tell him to come, he would tell me, “Sir, I have to go to church first before I come.” So his grandmother ensured that he kept that spiritual component. He was like a sponge. He knew how to bring his classmates and his teachers together.”
Jacobs said he immediately sprang into action upon hearing the heartbreaking news, knowing that Cayden’s classmates would need support and counseling due to the profound impact he had on them.
Samson Jacobs
“Immediately when I got the report, I contacted the Belize School Counselors Association to ask them if they would be willing to come to E.P. Yorke on Monday, which is today, to lend support to the students and staff. So, when I reached there this morning – I had communicated with my principal to go over also to lend support since he was my student from First Form. So, when I went over this morning, I was happy to see the counselor from Wesley College. We had Pastor Lloyd who went over, also the counselor from Nazarene High School to lend support.”
A.C.P. Hilberto Romero shared that Cayden drowned in an area of the river that is very deep.
“On Saturday, police responded to a report of a drowning at Gracie Rock. Upon arrival, they saw the lifeless body of Cayden Stewart, sixteen years old. Information is that he was along with several other persons swimming when he went underwater. He did not resurface. Persons in the area began to search and found his body. No signs of injuries were observed on the body. He was taken to the morgue and is awaiting a postmortem examination.”
Reporter
“Is it directly connected to a baptism?”
A.C.P. Hilberto Romero
“Yes. They had a baptism prior to them going swimming in that area.”
Reporter
“And there were no personnel that could have helped him, to your knowledge?”
A.C.P. Hilberto Romero
“The area is deep, and he went under and he was not seen until the persons began to search.”
According to Jacobs, Cayden was a leader and set good examples for the rest of his class.
Samson Jacobs
“I had them in a chat group and when we’d meet on Saturdays and Sundays, I would say, “Guys, we will meet at school for eight o’clock. Cayden would be the first one to put in that chat group on Saturday morning “I done deh da school; weh everybody else deh?” So, he prided himself on punctuality. Another thing is that he dreamt of being an engineer. And one of the things I believe that he wanted to be, he believed that he owed that to his grandmother. His grandmother was the one who was his immediate caregiver, provider. And so, he said, “You know what, Sir? I want to go and study.” He already had a university in the States. He had applied. His death impacted me because I saw him progress and growing.”
Principal Canto said he was also very intelligent.
Karen Canto
“He’s an advanced industrial studies student. He’s in the group that we tend to call our elites, and that’s where our engineers come from. He was in first place, currently in second term; he was in first place for Industrial Studies (advanced) set to graduate.”
The Ministry of Education has expressed heartfelt condolences on the passing of Cayden Stewart, extending their sympathies to his family, friends, teachers, and classmates. In their statement, they noted, “His passing is an immense loss not only to his school community but to the entire education family.” Cayden Stewart will be laid to rest in Dangriga on Sunday, which would have been his seventeenth birthday. Marion Ali for News Five.
On Monday, we reported on Herbin Bans, who was found dead along Old Well Road. Police said the forty-two-year-old Lord’s Bank resident tried to steal a motorcycle and escaped by swimming in nearby ponds. He was found floating in the water the next day. However, tonight, a family has come forward to clarify that Bans never tried to steal their motorcycle. Nalini Prado, the motorcycle’s owner, shares more details on the incident.
On the phone: Nalini Prado, Lord’s Bank Resident
“I live da di location. Weh happen I have, I may buy a new motorcycle and it have alarm. The alarm went off. So my husband get up and he gone outside fi check weh mi di happen. So we mi think somebody mi di thief the bike, but there was no one outside. So we gone inside back. Then we hear wa screaming. When we come outside again, we hear the screaming through the pond then. We never see nobody, but we hear the bawling, so I gone get the headlight, my husband’s headlight, and with a flash we see, that afterwards we see the person, way inna the pond, inside the pond water.”
Britney Gordon
“Was he still alive at that point?”
Nalini Prado
“He was alive. We call the police at the moment because we never know da who that person so we neva want risk fi come outside and say maybe they want trap to make somebody kill we or whatever you understand me.”
Britney Gordon
“So what happened when the police arrived? If you guys saw him, how come they did not find him?”
Nalini Prado
“When the police arrived, it looked like he saw the light from the truck and he hopped from the other pond to the other pond. So the police went and looked for him.”
Britney Gordon
“So if he was screaming for assistance or help, why is it that he ran from the police?
Nalini Prado
“I have no idea, ma’am. That’s the reason I don’t have no idea why he ran. But before he, before the police reached he hollered and said in Spanish that nobody no love ah and that they come to kill ah. That’s the way the man said before the police reached.”
Britney Gordon
“Do you think that he may have been drunk or injured?”
Nalini Prado
“He was really wasted. I have no idea who he was with but he is not somebody that goes back there at us.”
Over the weekend, a passerby made a grim discovery along Old Well Road in Ladyville—a man’s decomposing body floating in the water. The foul odor had already begun to permeate the area. Police later identified the man as forty-two-year-old Herbin Bans from Lord’s Bank. According to Regional Commander Hilberto Romero, Bans was wanted for attempting to steal a motorcycle the night before. Here’s more on the story.
“On Sunday, police responded to the discovery of a body at a pond in Lord’s Bank. Upon arrival, they saw the lifeless body of a male person identified as Herbin Bans of Lord’s Bank. Information is that Saturday morning Bans attempted to steal a motorcycle from the area. And when the owner came out, he ran towards the pond area. The police was called, the police responded then he continued to swim through the ponds. Then he was reported missing and on Sunday his body was found.”
Reporter
“Do you know if he was intoxicated?”
Hilberto Romero
“The information we got is that yes, he was at a nightclub the night when he went and tampered with a motorcycle.”
Reporter
“So no foul play?”
Hilberto Romero
“We are currently on investigation but the body had no injuries.”
Tonight, the University of Belize community is in mourning after a tragic drowning incident claimed the lives of two students on Thursday afternoon. The victims, twenty-two-year-old Henry Osorio and nineteen-year-old Alexander Munoz were both undergraduate biology majors. They were socializing with friends at the riverside in Guanacaste Park when their friends noticed that the pair hadn’t resurfaced from the water for over twenty minutes. This prompted them to alert the authorities. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the full report.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Today, the University of Belize’s flag flies at half-mast as students and faculty mourn the loss of Henry Osorio and Alexander Munoz. These promising biology majors were on track to graduate with their bachelor’s degrees, but their lives were tragically cut short in a drowning incident at Guanacaste Park. Staff reported that Osorio, Munoz, and two female friends arrived around two p.m., but sadly, they were found dead less than three hours later. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has more on this unfortunate incident.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Upon arrival there, met two females in a frantic state. Those females told the police that the two male counterparts had gone under the water and had not resurfaced. Based on not the police conducting some searches in the area and the two male individuals were found and taken from the water, but by then it was too late. They were already without life. Based on that they were taken to the hospital and they were pronounced dead on arrival. The information we gathered so far is that the four of them were socialized, two male and two female, and one of the male person went into the water to take a swim and he began to drift away. And then the other one went to rescue him and he also drifted away. And then they would both submerge and did not resurface.”
The Guanacaste Park swimming area is a favorite spot for both tourists and locals, with an entry fee of just a dollar. Police reported that the group had been drinking alcohol, which is allowed in the area. Zoe Sutherland, a friend and classmate of Alex Munoz, fondly remembers the happy times they shared at the riverside.
Zoe Sutherland
Zoe Sutherland, Friend of Deceased
“We skipped chem and he’s like, let me show you the river. And this was like five because we had a very late chem class. So we left and we stopped by the store. We got some snacks. And he showed me a river like by over there and we just sat and we just talked and we laughed and then he’s like, okay, let’s study chem. And I was like, what? And he’s like, yeah, you thought I took you out of chem? No. So he went over the whole topic and everything. And he’s like, I brought you here so I can teach you. And that’s one thing I will always miss is his enthusiasm and his okayness to do anything, especially for me. He always helped with anything. If I needed him there, he would be there. And he was the main reason that I passed chemistry in my second semester.”
Dr. Martin Cuellar, Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Belize, shared that the entire school is heartbroken by the news. To help students cope with their grief, the university organized a grief circle where they shared fond memories of Osario and Munoz and spoke with mental health professionals.
Martin Cuellar
Dr. Martin Cuellar, Dean of Student Affairs, UB
“It’s always a tragedy when any family loses a member, especially a young, promising individual. And here we are at UB dealing with the terrible news that we have two of our students who have passed over the past twenty-four hours. As you can imagine, classmates are in tears, faculty members are breaking down. The university is in the full stages of grief. And then it is our job, obviously, as colleagues, as brothers and sisters of each other, to take care of each other as best we can. And so, we’re doing everything possible to try to take care of each other. We have a grief circle that is just wrapping up right now for close friends, classmates in particular, of Henry and Alex, and then we have a memorial scheduled or being organized for next week.”
Longtime friends of Henry Osorio attended the vigil, sharing that his death hits especially hard because they grew up with him. Yasmine Franco fondly remembers that there wasn’t a day when Henry wasn’t smiling or making someone else laugh.
Yasmine Franco
Yasmine Franco, Friend of Deceased
“One time we were playing an online game, right? And she had a really bad internet connection, right? And we were all on a voice call together. And the game in summary If someone dies on your team, everyone restarts. And so she kept dying, and we were all in voice chat, and we were just screaming at her. I was laughing so hard. We all were laughing so hard. He just kept out spitting jokes, and I was like, I was in tears from laughing. And now we’re in tears from mourning. So that, that hits different, because on that game, we can create profiles, and now I saw his profile online last night, and I’m like, how was he online last night? And so I thought, that felt eerie to have lost a friend that was, it’s eerie.”
Several classmates shared that both Osorio and Munoz were exceptionally bright and often competed for the top grades in their classes. In 2021, Alex Munoz, originally from Guinea Grass in Orange Walk, served as the Speaker of the House at the Children’s Parliament. Hector Maldonado, who was supposed to meet with them for a project that very night, admired their academic drive and dedication.
Hector Maldonado
Hector Maldonado, Classmate
“I really loved their interactions in class. They were like very interactive with the lecturers. They knew what they were talking about. They were book smart, we could say. And I just felt that I had the pressure of getting to their level where they are because they really knew a lot. So yeah, they were very interactive and involved in class.”
The school is also extending individual counseling to those grieving and will continue to host intimate events in memory of Henry and Alex. Britney Gordon for News Five.
