In tears, Ireni told Amandala, via a telephone interview, that on Monday morning they went to Santa Elena, where they ate something and later went to the river.

?We went to take a bath and while holding hands in the water, we saw a boat coming from a far distance. It was a marine boat and we were at the side of the river, on the Mexican side. We were in a standing area, as the water reached only to my hips, that were visible from in the water. When the marine vessel came closer, we decided to ?duck? under the water, to listen to how the engine sounds,? she recollected.

Ireni said that while their heads were under the water, she felt something hit her. She said she could not recall what it was that had hit her, because their heads were under water. Immediately, she felt Jorge let go of her hands, and she lost consciousness.

According to the Tuesday, July 25, 2005 issue of Diario Quintana Roo of Chetumal, Mexico, Ireni and Jorge were rescued by a passerby, a Mexican named Benito Javier Garcia Cua, 23.

According to accounts from people at the scene, ?Coincidentally, Garcia Cua, who was passing at the moment, decided to jump into the water and managed to grab [Ireni] Minerva in the hair and drag her to the riverside, where she was given CPR [by the Red Cross]. Another unidentified person, [who was there when] the incident took place, decided to assist in the rescue of [Jorge] Adrian [who was apparently still alive]. However, because Adrian was pulling him under, he decided to let go of him. Someone of the Armada de Mexico [navy] decided to assist him. However, by the time they retrieved him, Jorge was dead.?

On the other hand, Ireni remembers that when she regained consciousness after being pulled out of the water, people who were around her were telling her that Jorge was fine. She remembers seeing him lying on the ground, just minutes after she had been taken out of the water.

She recalled that he was alive as he was kicking his feet and moving his hands, but then she recalled someone shouted out, ?He is dead.?

Another person at the scene told her his neck was broken, and that was all she could remember hearing before she was rushed to a hospital in Chetumal.

Ireni concluded by saying that since the incident occurred, she has not spoken to any policeman.

Today, Thursday, we received a report from the Belize Police Department saying that the post-mortem had certified that Jorge Cantun, Jr., died from ?asphyxia due to drowning.?

The family said that they have learned that Jorge died after a navy boat hit him. He hit his head on the foot of the bridge as a result of being hit by the boat, and that he later died. The boat had not stopped to help him, said his family.

His mother, Julia Cantun, 43, said that her son had bruises on his abdomen, and a large cut was seen on the right side of his forehead. They say they just want answers to why he had the marks on his body if he had only drowned and was not hit by the boat.

Police liaison officer, G. Michael Reid, told us, however, that Jorge Cantun?s family has not reported any such concerns to the Police Department. He said that a brother of the deceased had witnessed the post-mortem and had not said anything about any bruises on Jorge?s body.

Today?s police report further stated, ?Cantun and his girlfriend were swimming under the bridge when a Mexican vessel passed and the waves caused Cantun to be sucked into the deep area? It is believed that Cantun might have struck his head on a column that supports the bridge and as a result was unable to swim to safety…?

Early yesterday morning, at around 10:00, Jorge, whose body was in a partial state of decomposition, was quickly rushed to the village cemetery and laid to rest. His mother said that her son had to be buried without a proper funeral service because of the foul smell of the body.

She said that they want to know who is responsible for her son?s death, as no one has taken responsibility for his death.

She said that her son?s decomposing body was transported to Belize at about 8:00 Tuesday night after the family paid a fee of 7,000 pesos (BZ$1,500) to Mexican health authorities.

The Chetumal newspaper said that after Jorge?s death, Mexican authorities are considering reposting a specialized watch group to monitor the international bridge between Mexico and Belize.

Alex Misael Cantun, 17, Jorge?s brother, who also works at the Corozal Free Zone, which is not far from the river, was immediately informed by Mexican authorities of what had happened to his brother.

Jose Adrian Cantun is survived by his mother, Julia Cantun; father, Jorge Cantun, Sr.; two sisters and three brothers.