SARTENEJA, Corozal District, Mon. June 5, 2017–The search for Asita Flores,44, a domestic of Sarteneja who went missing at sea on Thursday night, June 1, after the boat in which she was traveling overturned, came to a sad conclusion at about 10:00 this morning.
Residents of Sarteneja who were searching for her found her body floating in the sea about half a mile north of Consejo, Corozal District.
Police said that when they went to the Corozal Town Pier on 1st Avenue, they saw the body of Asita Flores in a skiff, and it was in an advanced state of decomposition.
At the conclusion of a post-mortem exam on her body, it was certified that drowning was the cause of her death.
Flores’ body was then taken to her home village, where she was buried today.
Police reported that at about at about 5:00 Thursday morning, Asita Flores and 8 others, including her daughter, all from Sarteneja, travelled to Calderitas, Chetumal, Mexico, for shopping and leisure.
At about 6:30 that evening, they all got back into their boat and embarked on the journey back home. However, they encountered high waves and strong winds, and the boat overturned. Flores ensured that her daughter was safe, but she later disappeared.
The families of the passengers began to get worried when at about 8:30 Thursday night, the passengers failed to arrive back in Sarteneja. Calls were made to their phones, but these calls were unanswered, or prompted voicemail responses.
Some of the villagers wanted to start to search for the missing persons that same Thursday night, but there was a fear that the propellers of the search boats could injure those who would be floating and not seen in the dark sea.
At about 4:00 Friday morning, 9 boats left the village to look for the passengers, and 8 of them were found floating after about 10 hours of search. They were found in front of Calderitas, but Flores was not found. The passengers were all taken to the Corozal Town Hospital, where they were treated for dehydration, exhaustion and minor injuries.
An extensive search was made to find Flores, which concluded today.
The Mexican Navy, along with relatives and friends of Flores, assisted in conducting the joint search operation.