by Charles Gladden

MAYA CENTER VILLAGE, Stann Creek District, Mon. Oct. 30, 2023

A teen boy from southern Belize was found dead on Friday night after an apparent drowning that may have occurred in a creek outside of his home village. The deceased teen was identified as Aaron Pop, 13, of Maya Center Village, Stann Creek District.

According to reports, Pop had gone missing from his home earlier that day and was last seen by residents of the village around 4:30 p.m. A search party was formed, and a few hours later, his body was found in a nearby creek, which led villagers to believe he had drowned.

According to reports, Pop, who was diagnosed with autism, was playing outside of his home earlier that day, and his mother was keeping an eye on him. His mother went inside the home to begin to make supper, and when she looked outside, Pop was gone.

The community of Maya Center Village soon formed a search party, and there were concerns that he may have wandered off with someone to the nearby creek or had fallen off the bridge.

Up to press time, no report on Pop’s death has been released by the Belize Police Department to the media.