TRINIDAD VILLAGE, Orange Walk, Thurs, Feb. 25, 2021– Two-year-old Ruth Maria Hernandez of Trinidad Village, Orange Walk District, drowned on Thursday, February 25, 2021.

Around 4:00 p.m., while her parents were eating inside the family’s home, Ruth was playing outside with her siblings. At some point, she disappeared from their field of view, which prompted a search.

Her father, Henry Hernandez, 34, searched for her for about 10 minutes, but was unable to find her at her regular hiding spot: an old bus in the family’s yard. Ruth’s older brother, Herson Hernandez, later found her about 30 feet from the house, submerged in a pool of water. When she was retrieved from the pond, she was given cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but was unresponsive.

Around 4:42 p.m. that day, police arrived at the scene. Upon arrival, they saw the motionless body of the 2-year-old. Ruth Maria Hernandez was transported to the Northern Regional Hospital, where she was confirmed dead upon arrival. Her body lies in the North Regional Hospital and will undergo a post-mortem examination.