The body of a man in an advanced state of decomposition was found floating in the sea near Colson Caye in the Stann Creek District at about 2:00 this afternoon by the Coast Guard and the Belize Port Authority.

The body, which exhibited chop wounds to the head and hand, was brought to Belize City and handed over to the police.

Deputy Commandant of the Coast Guard, Elton Bennett, told Amandala that they, along with the Port Authority, went to the Colson Caye area about 2:00 this afternoon, and found the floating body. Nothing much is known of the man at this time.

The body was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital morgue, where it awaits a post-mortem.

Rafael Martinez, Police Press Officer, said that depending on the level of decomposition of the corpse, a photograph of the man will be taken to be distributed in an effort to identify the corpse.