Caye Caulker Student Involved in Accident Friday Dies

Tragically, one of the four people from Caye Caulker who were seriously injured in a van accident last Friday passed away this morning in Belize City. Alex Bainton died just as he was about to undergo a CT scan at the K.H.M.H. Meanwhile, a teacher who was also in the van is in Guatemala with severe spinal injuries. On a brighter note, a third student who was in an induced coma is showing signs of improvement, and the fourth student, who also suffered serious injuries, is reportedly on the mend. News Five’s Marion Ali was in Caye Caulker today and has more on this story.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

The student body at Ocean Academy High School in Caye Caulker is in shock and mourning today after the tragic death of their peer, eighteen-year-old Alex Bainton. He succumbed to severe head trauma from a horrific traffic accident on the Philip Goldson Highway last Friday evening. The team was on their way to Orange Walk for a basketball game when the accident happened. While the family and school authorities were unavailable for interviews, News Five spoke with Caye Caulker Chairlady, Seleny Villanueva Pott. She has been in close contact with Alex’s family and the high school. She shared that the news of his passing has deeply shaken the students, many of whom needed support this morning.

 

Seleny Villanueva Pott, Chairlady, Caye Caulker

“We later found out that several students had to be taken over to the community centre. A couple of them had passed out, a couple of them had breathing issues. It’s just the heaviness of the news losing a teammate, a classmate. The past couple of days have been really hard and I believe the pressure of the news they couldn’t bear.”

 

Villanuella Pott encourages everyone to reach out to her via Fecebook Messenger if you wish to assist the survivors of the accident or Bainton’s family who must now lay him to rest and still pay a huge medical bill. On Wednesday night, the Caye Caulker community came together for a heartfelt prayer vigil, walking through the streets in support of the four accident victims. This close-knit community has been rallying around the Bainton family and the other victims, showing incredible solidarity since the tragic incident. Businesswoman Lee Vanderwalker is spearheading a fundraising effort to help cover funeral costs and provide support to the victims.

 

Lee Vanderwalker, Fundraiser Director

“We’ve been able to raise enough funds to get the initial medical care started and some of the students who were hospitalized in Orange Walk, most of them have been able to go home. However, there are ongoing issues with them with broken bones and other things that are coming up as a result of the accident. We’ve been able to get Mr. Zuniga medivacced to Guatemala City for his spinal surgery because he’s paralyzed. It’s affecting his breathing. And then initially, I believe that several of the worst cases were taken to Healthcare Partners and Medical Associates, and then they were moved to K.H.M.H. So there are still a lot of outstanding bills, even though we’ve raised a considerable amount of money, we need to raise more.”

 

Ocean Academy, the high school where Bainton attended classes, as well as Anda De Wata Tours, where he worked in his spare time, have issued press releases since his passing. The tour company said Bainton was more than just the youngest member of their dive team, he was a hero in the making, with an unshakable passion for sea life, a tireless work ethic, and a character marked by integrity and kindness. Ocean Academy’s release states that Bainton, who was known by his friends as “footy”, radiated light, love, kindness and joy to everyone he knew, and he filled every room with his bright smile and positive energy. He was awarded one of the school’s most prestigious annual awards, the Ka’Ana OA Outstanding Student Award, for exceptional, positive, and resilient leadership on campus. Marion Ali for News Five.

 

Anyone who would like to help the injured or Bainton’s family can make donations in Caye Caulker to Atlantic Bank account: 100 073 949. They can also make donations to Atlantic Bank account in the name of Ocean Academy High School. That account number is: 100 299 151. International donors can help through Paypal at: www.paypal.com/np/ncp/payment/NMPUE4UU45KV4