‘Vessel Not Designed for Sea,’ Says Coast Guard as Investigation Continues 

The body of missing fisherman Samuel Chi was recovered this morning roughly four miles southwest of where his fellow boater, Albert Vacarro, was rescued alive yesterday. 

Lieutenant Mark Choc, Operations Officer for the Belize Coast Guard, said a joint search operation resumed at 5:00 a.m. with support from the Belize Port Authority, the Belize Police Department and relatives of the missing men. 

“At around 9:00 a.m. this morning, the body was located approximately eight miles north of Belize City,” Choc said. The body was transported to Coast Guard headquarters and handed over to police and Scenes of Crime for examination. 

Chi and Vacarro went missing Sunday after a day trip off the coast. Vacarro was found alive Monday, dehydrated and disoriented. 

“The vessel is a riverine vessel. It is designed to be operated in the river. It’s not designed to be out at sea. Therefore, this is a contributing factor to more than likely causing the accident to happen,” Lieutenant Choc said. “ we would definitely need to locate the vessel so it can contribute to our investigation.” 

Eight to nine vessels took part in this morning’s search, including five deployed by Chi and Vacarro’s own relatives and friends. 

The vessel the two men were travelling in remains missing.