Fisherman Found Dead at Sea, Three Days After Going Missing

The lifeless body of sixty-one-year-old Gilbert Flowers was found floating off Deadman Caye on Tuesday. Flowers, a former resident of Mullins River Village, who moved to Belize City a few years ago, spent most of his days at sea as a fisherman. Last week, he and two other men travelled to the area to prepare their gears ahead of the opening of the lobster season. Flowers, however, went missing on Saturday under what his family is describing as mysterious circumstances. His body was not found until three days later in a mangrove area not too far from where he was staying. Flowers’ relatives are tonight seeking answers as they wait for a postmortem to be concluded on his body. We spoke with his nephew, Albert Magdaleno who told us that reports of his uncle’s death came as a shock to them.

 

Albert Magdaleno, Nephew of Deceased

“At this moment everything is still mystery because for the past three to four years he has been working out at sea. He used to regularly send fish for me, so I get my fish supplies and I am telling you, big snapper, the man handle me. But this week, I think it was Monday or Tuesday, one of his co-worker friends called me and said boy I have bad news for you. They found your uncle floating up in the sea dead. I asked how, because he is a man known to the seas. He is originally from Mullins River, came to live in Belize City. When he came to live in Belize City he use to work on those boats where they go and dig sand from Robinson point and brought it to sell. So, sea and working on the seas dah nothing new for him. So to hear he drowned is like what. So, we are still trying to gather information. All we know is that the Coast Guard found his body somewhere out on Turneffe and then they brought in his body and took it to Burrel Boom for postmortem. I don’t know if it happened as yet. But from that point, we don’t know anything else.”

 

Paul Lopez

“From your knowledge, was there a period where he was missing?”

 

Albert Magdaleno

“For about three days until they made it publicly known that the was missing and then they called in the coast guard and the gentle men that were out there assisted to help find his body.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Do you know if anybody else was out there?”

 

Albert Magdaleno

“From what I heard, him and two other guys, cause they do lobster traps for cray fish, and so they have to prep the traps. It is only three of them that was supposed to be on the island. But I know his friend is very upset because he suspect that something went adrift, it is not normal.”