NEW ROAD, Stann Creek District, Mon. Mar. 19, 2018– At about 9:30 last night, three men were almost killed by a hunter who fired a shotgun blast at them when he mistook their eyes in the dark forest for those of raccoons. As a result, Raphael Choj, Sr., 44, a farmer of New Road (2); and his two sons, Raphael Choj, Jr., 12, a student of New Road; and  Ernesto Choj, 14, also a student of New Road, all suffered gunshot injuries.

The father and his two sons were all taken to the Punta Gorda Community Hospital, where they were treated.

The Choj brothers, Rafael and Ernesto, were released after they were treated, but their father remains hospitalized for observation. He has been declared to be in a stable condition.

Information to us is that at about 9:30 last night, Santos Cucul, 57, of the New Road area, was hunting for game near the creek when he saw some eyes in the dark, and thinking that they were raccoons, fired a blast from his 16-gauge shotgun.

When there were screams, he realized that the eyes were not those of raccoons, but of human beings.

Police have begun an investigation, but no charges have yet been brought against Cucul.