by Kristen Ku

CAYE CAULKER, Belize District, Wed. Jan. 10, 2024

On Tuesday morning, January 9, 76-year-old American tourist, Steven Mark Kurenitz, drowned at a popular swimming spot known as “The Split” in Caye Caulker Village.

Kurenitz, a retiree from Minnesota, was enjoying a swim when he suddenly became unresponsive, and was seen floating face-down in the water.

According to police reports, emergency responders were called to the scene and they performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an attempt to revive him. Unfortunately, those efforts were in vain.

Kurenitz was then quickly transported to the Caye Caulker Health Center, where he was pronounced dead at 12:25 p.m. by Dr. Ivan Hernandez Cruz.

Kurenitz was identified by his wife, Maryanne Catherine Kurenitz.

According to reports, there were no physical injuries on Kurenitz’s body, and Caye Caulker police have ruled out any suspicion of foul play.

Currently, his body is lying in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital’s morgue in Belize City, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted to officially determine the cause of his death.

The Split, a channel at the edge of the beach area, is particularly popular among visitors due to its beauty and inviting waters. However, the area is not without its risks, as highlighted by this and a few past incidents.

In July 2020, a similar tragedy occurred when Barrington Moss, a 50-year-old resident of San Pedro, was found lifeless off Caye Caulker’s west coast near the Split area. A post-mortem examination later confirmed drowning as the cause of death.

The most recent reported drowning, however, took place on March 2022, when Belize City resident, Rashaad Gillet, 34, was at the Split with his family and decided to jump into the water.

Moments later, he began experiencing difficulties, and he initially sank under the water’s surface before his body was seen floating in the sea. Despite CPR efforts, Gillet was pronounced dead.