Belize toddler dies after drowning near Punta Gorda Wharf

Belize: A three-year-old boy tragically drowned near the seaside in Punta Gorda Town, Belize, on Sunday, March 15, just hours after being reported missing.

The child victim has been identified as three-year-old boy, Asher Mejia, son of Martina Mejia and a local pastor. He resided with his family in Punta Gorda Town, Belize.

According to police reports, the incident took place at around 11:00 a.m., when the toddler was wandering away from his home, while his mother was occupied sending an older sibling on an errand. During this course of time, the family did not know that he had already left the yard as they were all busy.

After buying stuff, the older brother returned back home when he discovered that Asher was not there, following which the family members frantically searched for him, but he was nowhere to be found. The family searched all the immediate area where the child used to wander but he was nowhere, forcing the family to head to the police station for help.

Following the report, the officers immediately left for the search along with the family, where during the frantic search one of the child's older brothers spotted him unresponsive in the water near the St. Peter Claver Church wharf on Front Street.

Responding to which, he immediately retrieved the child from the water where the bystanders and a truck driver attempted CPR at the scene to save the child’s life, before contacting the officers and rest of the family.

On arrival at the scene, the police officers quickly transported the child to Punta Gorda Hospital, but despite the officers and bystander's quick response of performing CPR, the child was pronounced dead at 12:19 p.m., at the hospital.

Since then, the officers attached to Punta Gorda Town’s police station, launched their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. During the initial investigation the officers found out that “this was the second time in less than a week when the toddler had wandered away from home and had gone missing, but he returned back after sometime.”

Notably, a truck driver from Big Falls Village also reported to the officers that “he was at the wharf when three young men, including Asher's brother, approached him asking if he had seen the child, where moments later, the brother spotted the toddler unresponsive in the water.”

Authorities stated that police are continuing their investigation into the matter to determine any foul play in the suspicious death of the child who had gone missing two times in a week. Officers are also investigating if the child died due to the negligence of the family.