Tragedy on the Belize River: Teen Drowns in Jet Ski Accident

A weekend on the water turned tragic when a jet ski accident claimed the life of a young boy. Fourteen-year-old Axel Oroman was out on the sea with fifty-five-year-old Roy Alvarez when things took a devastating turn. Both were thrown from the watercraft, but only one of them made it back to shore. What followed was a massive two-day search effort, led by the Belize Coast Guard and fueled by the determination of volunteers who refused to give up hope. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

What started as a casual jet ski ride on the Belize River took a heartbreaking turn on Saturday. Fourteen-year-old Axel Oroman, who was behind the controls, suddenly lost control of the watercraft. Both he and his passenger were thrown into the water, but only one of them came back up. Axel, a young teen from Corozal, never resurfaced.

 

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of Crime Investigation Branch 

“Upon arrival they met one, Roy Alavarez,  who reported that he was on he jet ski with one Axel Oroman. He reported Axel Oroman lost control of the jet ski, and both of them fell into the river. Searches were made. He was not located thereafter. Further searched were done on Sunday and the body of Oroman was recovered from the river. We are now awaiting a post-mortem examination.”

 

As soon as bystanders realized Axel hadn’t come back up, the Belize Coast Guard was called in. Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, the Coast Guard’s  commandant, says their search and rescue team was on the scene within minutes. They wasted no time, scanning the surface while a dive team searched the waters below, hoping for any sign of the young teen.

 

Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard

“It was late in the evening. Visibility was very poor. We commenced underwater searches on Saturday and that was un successful, we continued our investigation, we expanded our search era and looked for a suitable search pattern in order to best locate the individual who was missing. That search pattern stretched one hundred meters north and one hundred meters south of the entrance to the Haulover River, that’s what our computer system showed us. It was a very large search era. It was very complicated because you have long shore currents, you have river currents, and you had the tidal difference throughout a twenty-four-hour period that would’ve impacted the most probable location of the body.”

 

In the wake of the tragic accident, the Belize Port Authority issued a reminder to the public: operating a jet ski isn’t just fun and games, it comes with serious responsibilities. Under Belize’s maritime laws, anyone using a personal watercraft like a jet ski must have a valid certificate of competency, and the watercraft itself must be registered and licensed. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, young Axel Oroman didn’t have that authorization. He wasn’t licensed to operate the jet ski that day.

 

ACP Hilberto Romero

“A permit is required to drive at jet ski, but the information we got is that he took that jet ski without the consent of the owner and made his way to the river.”

 

Reporter

“Can the adult be held responsible?”

 

ACP Hilberto Romero

“Well he is saying that he was the passenger on the jet ski and Oroman was driving the jet ski.”

 

Jet skis are usually equipped with a safety feature called a lanyard kill switch; it’s designed to shut off the engine instantly if the operator falls off. But in this case, that didn’t happen. Video from the scene shows the jet ski spinning wildly out of control after Axel Oroman and Roy Alvarez were thrown into the water. It’s a chilling sight. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero says the investigation is still ongoing as authorities try to piece together exactly what went wrong.

 

ACP Hilberto Romero

“An investigation  will be carried out. That is the initial information we have at this time. But a  full investigation will be conducted. Also an investigation will be done by Port Authority.”

 

Reporter

“And can anything come out of the fact that he was a minor who was on his own on a Saturday? One would say, and as far as we know, he wasn’t in school either.”

 

ACP Hilberto Romero

“Yes, that would be a part of the investigation. Likewise, the information we have that he was in that area where he does some chores and at some point he took the jet ski from  there.”

 

It wasn’t until Sunday evening that volunteers would locate Oroman’s lifeless body. It was revealed that he was not wearing a life vest, which is mandatory for riders and operators of jet skis.

 

Rear Admiral Elton Bennett

“Had you been wearing a life jacket, we believe the outcome would’ve been very different. Also the adult on board he assisted in the search immediately after he went overboard. But he wasn’t able to grab a hold of the young Axel.”

 

And just a reminder to everyone heading out on the water, safety should always come first. The Belize Port Authority is urging the public to follow all maritime rules and regulations when using personal watercraft. It’s not just about avoiding fines, it’s about preventing tragedies like this one. Britney Gordon for News Five.