HATTIEVILLE, Belize District, Fri. Apr. 24, 2020– Nigel Welch, 22, a laborer of Hattieville, was found dead in a sand pit pool in Hattieville, off the Boom-Hattieville Road, at 11:45 this morning.
A diver who went into the pit to recover the body said that Welch’s head was in the soil at the bottom of the pool, and he was pulled up by his feet, not far from the water’s edge. It is estimated that he had been in the water for about 45 to 60 minutes.
Reliable information is that Welch and three acquaintances of his left the village this morning and went to the pool, and Welch jumped into the pool and failed to resurface.
His companions then called police and Welch’s family members. Welch’s aunt said that on her arrival at the scene, he was still submerged in the water, and she began to seek help, and that was when divers from Hattieville and from the Belize Coast Guard came to recover him.
The aunt, however, said that when the police arrived, the officers hesitated to jump into the pool because it was deep.
Welch’s family believes that foul play occurred that led to Welch’s death. They do not understand why none of his three friends tried to rescue him.
Police said that they are waiting for a post-mortem exam to be performed so that they can ascertain what happened.
Feature photo: Nigel Welch, deceased