2024-08-12 - Channel 5 Belize

Man Lies Critical Following RTA; Sales Manager Arraigned

We begin tonight’s newscast with a report of a serious traffic accident that has left a man in a critical condition at the K.H.M.H. and another with a police charge. The accident happened sometime after seven on Friday night, near mile thirteen on the Phillip Goldson Highway. While the police have not yet released details, there’s plenty for us to share on the incident, including reports that the ambulance service was very late in responding because of mechanical failure. BERT Ambulance had no comment when we called them today, but a relative of the victim said that critical time was lost due to the delay in getting their loved one to the hospital. It took the efforts of an employee from Channel Five who is trained in First Aid, along with two doctors who happened to be at the scene, to stop the patient, Alfred Garbutt, from bleeding out at the scene. We’ll hear from his sister later, but we report first on the man charged in connection with the accident.

The allegation is that a sales manager, forty-three-year-old Dennis Lawrence Johnson, was driving a white Toyota Hilux pickup truck under the influence of alcohol when he collided into the back of Garbutt’s motorcycle, sending the fifty-five-year-old cyclist crashing violently onto the pavement. Today, Johnson appeared in the Magistrate’s Court and was bailed on a charge of negligent grievous harm, pending additional charges. No plea was taken, and the prosecution informed the court that the police are expected to charge Johnson with failure to provide specimen. Today, Garbutt’s sister, Carla Garbutt, told News Five that the family is now preparing fundraisers to cover her brother’s mounting hospital bills.

Voice of: Carla Garbutt, Sister of traffic accident victim

“He had his foot broken and he was breathing very fast. And the ambulance that we called broke down. Thanks to Dr. Elijio from [BDF] Camp and a young man from Channel 5, and a doctor, another doctor. I don’t know his name, and another lady that was dressed in orange. They assisted, but those three medical people stopped his bleeding because the ambulance broke down. And it was for maybe an hour, hour and a half. And so Mr. Elijio had to take those little stuff that he had to prepare him from there, the ambulance came, but the ambulance was very, very late. We di do some fundraising and things because the first night, he bill da mi one thousand then he’s in I.C.U, so it’s five hundred a night and we don’t have it. And every three days, we get wa bill fi fifteen hundred dollars. So, we are doing some bread and buns today and Saturday, we are going to do a barbecue sale.”

Anyone wishing to support the family can contact Carla Garbutt at cell number 611- 4883.

Seven Thieves Break into Courts Belmopan

In crime news, a band of daring thieves, armed with guns, targeted Courts Belmopan branch early this morning. The burglars managed to carry out the plan undetected after they ambushed the company’s security guard and tied him up. Seven gun-toting thieves ambushed the guard before the crack of dawn and stole an assortment of valuables, including laptops, cell phones and money. The total value of the heist has still not been determined, and A.C.P. Romero says investigators are reviewing surveillance footage to help solve the crime.

A.C.P Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Around four-thirty a.m., police responded to a report of a burglary at Courts building in Belmopan. Upon arrival, the security guard reported that he was performing duties when he was approached by seven male persons armed with firearms. They held him up and tied him and proceeded to break into the building. They stole an assortment of cellular phones, laptops and some cash that was in a safe. Investigation into this report continues at this time. We’re working to get the value of all the items. They’re doing an inventory to see all what was stolen.”

Thieves Also Target Corozal Free Zone

Thieves were also busy up north, as a business at the Corozal Free Zone was broken into. The businessman told police that when he arrived at his store, he discovered that the bars securing the business were tampered with. Further checks confirmed his worst fears that the thief or thieves had forced open a safe that contained an undisclosed amount of cash. A.C.P. Romero says investigators are trying to determine who the perpetrators are.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, the eleventh day of August, 2024, police responded to a burglary report at the free zone in the Corozal District. Upon their arrival, Marwan Boinefield reported that he was alerted by someone that his business place was broken into. He made checks inside the burglar bar and the metal door of the building were damaged and entry had been gained. He made checks inside his business place where he found a safe containing a large amount of cash was broken into and all the cash in there was stolen. Investigation into this matter continues.”

Vegetable Vendors Beaten, Robbed at Gunpoint in Cayo

Police are looking for two suspects in connection with an armed robbery in the Cayo District that has left two vegetable vendors wounded and without their van and cell phones. The incident happened just as the men arrived home in their van on Saturday. That was when the gunmen pounced on them, stole an amount of cash and their phones, before beating them and taking the van. Head of the Eastern Division, A.C.P. Hilberto Romero told reporters today that police are following several leads.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Saturday, the tenth day of August, 2024, police responded to a report in Teakettle Village in the Cayo District, where they met Saulo Mantar and Miguel Cowo, who were seen with injuries. Saulo Mantar reported that he was in his van in the Hillview Area of Santa Elena when he was approached by two male persons armed with firearms. They were taken back into a Ford van that they were in and thereafter the two persons drove off with them to an area. Mantar reported that they arrived at a particular area in Teakettle, where they were taken out of the van and they were severely beaten with metal pipes. Thereafter the male persons robbed both of them of cellphones, cash, and they also stole the van. Thereafter the male persons fled from the area in the van. They received treatment and are in a stable condition. We are seeking two suspects in regard to this robbery.”

Body of a Man Found Floating in PG Sea

The lifeless body of a man was found floating in the sea near Punta Gorda Town on Saturday. A postmortem examination is still pending, but police say no sign of foul play was visible on the body of Victor Bol. A.C.P. Romero said today that the twenty-three-year-old was seen socializing only the night before his body was discovered.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Saturday, the 10th day of August, 2024 Punta Gorda Police responded to a report of a body floating in the sea on Front Street. Upon arrival, they saw the lifeless body of a male person. The body was retrieved, taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Thereafter, the body was identified as that of Victor Bol, twenty-three years, Belizean of Punta Gorda Town. There were no signs of any injuries on the body.”

Marion Ali

Can you say when was the last time he was seen alive?

A.C.P Hilberto Romero

“He was seen the night before. He was consuming alcoholic beverages. Thereafter, his body was found.”

Number Eleven Sold out for Sunday Lottery

It may have happened in the past – a Boledo and lottery agent announces that there can be no more sale of a certain number for a particular draw. But for the first time since the Belize Government Lotteries Limited introduced a software system five months ago, a notice is given to all agents to end the sale of a number. That is, once enough pieces of that number have been sold for that draw. It happened on Sunday. It appeared that too many lottery buyers invested in the number eleven and when the threshold was reached, the system automatically generated a notice across the country. Today, the managing director of the Belize Government Lotteries Limited, Janel Espat said that it’s really nothing new, just the software system. But how many pieces of a number can be purchased before that number is struck off the list? A lot.

Janel Espat, Managing Director, Belize Government Lotteries Ltd.

“Under the previous management of the Boledo, shop owners would simply inform players that a number was sold out and no longer available for purchase. But what we have done is that we have implemented a feature within our software program, and that feature provides an automatic notice when a number has reached its limit and is no longer available for purchase. So, it would not allow for the sale of that number to be made once it has reached the limit. So, it’s simply just a safeguard that we have put in place to minimize the risk of any very significant loss.”

Marion Ali

“How many pieces of any number is allowed to be sold before you can say it’s sold out?”

Janel Espat

“For the ordinary lottery, it’s about two hundred and five thousand pieces. So, it’s a very high threshold that would translate to winnings of close to two point two, two point five million dollars, somewhere around there.”

Marion Ali

“And you’re saying that the threshold on Sunday for the number eleven was reached for the number eleven?”

Janel Espat

“Yes. Yes. That’s exactly what happened. Over two hundred thousand pieces of the number eleven were sold on Sunday.”

Family of Shark Attack Survivor Launches GoFundMe

Last week, a teenager was severely injured while scuba diving in Belize, resulting in the loss of her leg. Today, she turns to the public for support following the traumatic incident. According to reports, fifteen-year-old Annabelle Carlson had completed a dive between Halfmoon and Hat Caye when she decided to return to the water for a final swim. It was at that point that the teenager was violently attacked by a shark. Carlson was flown to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where she remains in pediatric intensive care and is scheduled for at least one more surgery on her leg. To lighten the financial load, a family friend has launched a GoFundMe campaign for Carlson’s treatment. The page for the campaign reads, quote, the quick action from the emergency response team in Belize saved her life. They were able to stabilize her, at which point she was medically flown to the United States and is currently receiving care at the top trauma center. Annabelle will have a very long road of recovery ahead of her, end quote. The GoFundMe page aims to raise two hundred and fifty thousand U.S. dollars of which over one hundred and fifty-five thousand has been met.

Belizeans Warned of Doing Business with Neglectful Animal Owner

The Belmopan Humane Society is warning Belizeans to avoid conducting business with people who pose a potential risk to the wellbeing of animals in the country. Recently, U.S. national Abigail O’keeffe was flagged by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for owning over one hundred animals that were either dying or critically ill. O’keeffe then abandoned the animals and relocated to Belize, where she is seemingly attempting to purchase animals for a new farm. News Five’s Britney Gordon spoke with the Belmopan Humane Society today for more details on the dangers of this practice. Here’s that story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Upon encountering a hungry or injured dog, there are many people who would take the time to care for the animal, offering food, shelter and possibly a home. But can the same be said for a wounded chicken or an abandoned horse? Often, livestock animals are not afforded the same sympathy as domesticated animals and Diamne Habet, Vice Chair of the Belmopan Humane Society, says that organizations often struggle to find resources to rehabilitate them.

Diamne Habet, Vice Chair, Belmopan Humane Society

“There aren’t many resources for livestock in Belize when it comes to horses that you see on the side of the road that are that should be watered daily but are left there for two to three days without water and grazing on nothing but grass and not getting the full nutritional aspects that an adult horse requires when you’re seeing horses where you can see their ribs. They are reported to the Humane Society, but the Humane Society doesn’t have the resources to give aid. So we tend to report them to our municipal council To see if they can render aid. The most aid we can do legally is offer feed and water to an animal left in that kind of conditions.”

The Belmopan Humane society has taken a proactive approach to avoid cruelty to livestock animals. Late last month, Abigail O’keeffe made several posts across multiple Belizean Facebook pages expressing interest in farm animals and equipment. However, O’Keeffe’s recently found herself in hot water after her farm in the US was discovered to have over one hundred sick or dying animals that she later abandoned in her relocation to Belize.

Diamne Habet

“That’s how this person came on our radar in the first place, media sources that covered the incident that happened in the U.S. and knowing that this person fled to Belize and had the plans to basically reopen a farm here in Belize was very concerning to us because while there is an R.S.P. C.A. where she is from that was able to rally the community and was able to save these animals, the consequences, if that were to happen to Belize would, they would be far more devastating. We simply would not have the resources available to save a hundred farm animals. In particular, humane societies and rescue groups in Belize tend to focus on domestic animals. So having the resources to rescue a hundred goat, chickens, sheep, anything in that range, I can’t even foresee something that, like that being possible for a community in Belize to do.”

Belize’s Animal Cruelty Act offers minimal protection for the care of livestock, with fines of one hundred dollars for the torture, ill treatment, overwork or neglect to feed livestock animals. Habet explained that not only does this fee do little to deter the mistreatment of animals, but the laws are rarely enforced in communities.

Diamne Habet

“If she could remain under the radar for that long, to the point where it got to such horrifying conditions and still advertise to have people go to her farm, still make money off of it, in our country, it would just, it would be absolutely devastating.”

The Belmopan Humane Society encourages the public to do its part in ensuring the wellbeing of animals by staying current with vaccines and spaying and neutering animals in their care. Britney Gordon for News Five.

Climate Change Fuels Coral Bleaching

Climate change and the environment are taking center stage at the Fifty-fifth Caribbean Broadcasting Union’s Annual General Meeting in Belize. In collaboration with the regional organization, the Caribbean Climate Change Community Center is hosting a group of journalists from across the region to discuss the importance of climate reporting. News Five’s Paul Lopez has been in Placencia since Saturday. On Sunday, he joined the delegation on a trip to Laughing Bird Caye where he saw firsthand how a non-governmental organization is fighting back against the impact of climate change on one of the world’s most valuable ecosystems, coral reefs. Here is that report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Coral reefs play an important role in many aspects. They provide coastal protection from storms and floods. Coral reefs also contribute to economies across the world, particularly through the tourism industry.

Monique Vernon, Coral Reef Practitioner, Fragments of Hope

“Without the barriers reef the storm in the area would devastate the corals. So, for us it plays and important role, because we know they absorb carbons. They also slow down the storm, wave actions and so forth. They provide food and livelihood to many of the people on the coastlines. We get a lot of tourists coming out here to view the corals we have.”

Belize has the largest barrier reef or the largest coral reef system in the western hemisphere. It is under threat from coral bleaching.

Monique Vernon

“The way how coral bleaching works is first of all, corals are animals. And there is an algae which is a plant that lives inside the animal. Because they that allows corals to get the colors they have. When the temperature gets too hot for the corals and the algae, the algae say I got to go, because it is too hot, and I can’t stay. They expel themselves from the coral and the coral loses its color and that is what the coral bleaching is. But when corals lose their color, they are not technically dead. We at Fragments of Hope say they are dead when it is white, but you see other algae’s goring on top the coral.”

As the world’s temperature increases and affects climate change trends, corals are being exposed to severe heat. Coral bleaching has become a global crisis, Belize is no exception. Vernon says incidents of coral bleaching are now being recorded much earlier in the year. The worst-case scenario, according to Doctor Colin Young, is the loss of seventy to ninety percent of the world’s coral reef.

Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director, CCCCC

“Ironically you ask because this year has been one of the worst year for coral bleaching across the world, why because ocean temperatures have been one of the hottest it has bene since recorded history. But more importantly we are working with organizations like Fragments of Hope, looking at how you replant corals with climate resistant variety of corals. While this is a small example it is a pilot that once it is successful it can be scaled up across the region.”

One non-governmental organization is fighting back against the effects of climate change on corals. Fragments of Hope works to restore corals destroyed by natural disaster and impacted by coral bleaching. The organization’s largest and longest standing nursery exists just off the coast of Laughing Bird Caye. A media trip to the island gave reporters a firsthand look at their work.

Natasha Gibson, Coral Practitioner, Fragments for Hope

“What you will see personally today is sixteen-year-old standing elk horns out here surviving from tremendous devastation, climate change, natural disaster caused by humans, it is still standing. After sixteen years we have standing out planted corals out here. We have tiny, small baby fragments that we planted just before the bleaching session last year. That is looking alive as well. When we choose genets to plant, when we go and collect from our mother coral, whether it is closer to the reef or in the reef whereby we take stuff from nearshore simply to see how these coral genets and species are working with the different climate temperatures when we move them around.”

Coral reefs are also home to a large variety of marine life, putting Belize’s fisheries stock at risk of significant decline. Notwithstanding the work Fragments of Hope has accomplished, Doctor Young says more must be done urgently.

Dr. Colin Young

“These impacts are small, and the scale is tiny. And if you think about the size of the reef, not only in Belize, but across the world there is no better way to stop this deterioration than for us to stop putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We cannot adapt our way out of climate change. It is too costly. It is happening to face and these species have evolved under a set of stable conditions, stable climate over a long period of time.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

“Climate Change is the Single Greatest Threat to Humanity”

Doctor Young also spoke about the global impacts of climate change and the immediate actions that must be taken. He contends that Earth is on a trajectory to not only exceed the one point five degrees outlined in the Paris Agreement, but to potentially exceed three degrees within the next eight decades. As a result, the current effects of climate change would be significantly magnified. Here is how he puts it.

Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director, CCCCC

“The U.N. has called climate change the single greatest threat to humanity. Our leaders across the region, pick your country. They will tell you that climate change is an existential threat. It is undermining our ability to meet our S.D.G.s and we are paying for it in lives and livelihoods and worst of all it is something we did not cause. So, it is a socially unjust situation and the truth of it is, the absolute truth the world is heading in the wrong direction despite all the public commitment we heard from those who are responsible for causing climate change. The science is very clear when to come sot climate change. We know that in order for us to keep one point five alive that we have to cut emissions by forty-five percent in 2030. So we have to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. We have to look at transitioning food and food production from fossil fuel energy. We have to electrify and move away from coal and go to things like wind and solar. But when we look at all the pledges and promises countries have made, COP twenty nine Is coming up, COP twenty-eight past like eight months ago, we came back with some sense of hope that the world will do more fast. Ironically and unfortunately for us they are not.”