3,685 – that's how many entries you'll get if you enter the name Keith Swift in Channel 7's online archives. That means he did reports on that number of stories in between 2004 and 2010.

And those are just the stories he did interviews in, if you count the number he wrote the stories for, it would be twice that.

And if you add in the stories he did between 1998 and 2001 – it would be two and half times that – like in the range of eight thousand stories.

Indeed, it is a body of work whose sheer volume far surpasses any other active journalist in Belize.

And while his productivity was immense – when it comes to Keith Swift's legacy, that doesn't even begin to tell the story. It is a story that begins always with a question – even those questions you didn't like – because Keith was always trying to discover the essential truth of a story – the bottom line that made the headline.

In the process, he developed a style that was singular, and a style that tens of thousands of Belizeans across the country became familiar with and grew to love.

And his biggest fan was his boss, Jules Vasquez - who tonight offers a reminiscence on his star reporter, the man he calls most gifted with a pen and a microphone:...

Jules Vasquez
"When Keith first came to Channel 7, he was a teenager – just a boy, really – but what ambition he had, what fearlessness. Here's an out-take from one of his first stand-up's in 1999:"

Keith Swift
"5-4-3-2-1. It was 6 days before Christmas. And you still no see the Christmas. Ok, ok. 5-4-3-2-1. 5-4-… You got me? 5-4-3-2-1."

And even in the mis-takes and the mis-cues of the early days, there he was the ambition, the boy who became a man right before us, fearless, hard-nosed, committed...Here he was defining the art of the tough, relentless interview with Francis Fonseca:

Keith Swift, (June 20, 2007)
"What is the Universal's obligation to the Belize Bank? Is it 33.5 million belize dollars or 33.5 million us dollars."

Francis Fonseca, Former Minister of Government
"Belize dollars but that is matter before the courts, Keith, so please. "

Keith Swift,
"The settlement deed you signed in March, it said US dollars. Did you sign it without reading it or did you sign it knowing that it had US dollars? "

Francis Fonseca, Former Minister of Government
"It's a matter before the court. I won't speak on it as the Attorney General. It's a matter before the court but it's Belize dollars. "

Keith Swift,
"You signed it saying US dollars. "

Francis Fonseca, Former Minister of Government
"No, no. I'm saying to you its Belize dollars. I don't know what you are talking about. "

Keith Swift,
"The settlement deed that was signed in March by yourself and the Prime Minister, it said US 33.5 million dollars. The loan note says 33.5 million Belize dollars but the settlement deed that you signed in March had US 33.5 million dollars. "

Francis Fonseca, Former Minister of Government
"I don't know what you are talking about or what you saw. I am saying to you it is Belize dollars. Final. End of story."

Whether you were a viewer or like myself his, news director, you knew you could depend on him: Keith always brought the story.

And his range was unmatched, he would report on the day's murder in the morning – and by the afternoon, he'd be reporting on a school's beauty pageant – and whatever it was Keith always entertained us – he was a master at finding the essential truth of a story, the humanity even in an abyss of despair,

Keith Swift,
"Why did you decide, I mean what prompted the decision that you know what, I wehn fill up my lee place and I wehn come ya and come scavenge?"

Man scavenging at garbage dumpsite,
"Well because like I said the city is rough and I don't wanna go to jail. "

Keith Swift,
"We found most of Gales Point 400 villagers here at the Government School awaiting basic food supplies such as rice and beans. There are reportedly 59 villagers staying at the community center. So the number one problem here in Gales Point isn't food because that has trickled in. the problem is that most residents have nowhere to stay. "

And fearless as he was, he could also find the center of the fury in a whirlwind of chaos.

For years, I marveled at his craft, his ability to write stories so succinctly, with such zip, such elegant simplicity – he was a master of his profession at the height of his powers.

But what I admired most about Keith was his surrendering to a story – his willingness to let the story take him where it would – to play up the beautiful foolishness of things:

Keith Swift,
"And here's another great gift. A bucket. You might not know it yet, but next year, BWSL will take government to court to demand their full 33% increase in water rates. Sot that means chances are you might be paying 17% more for water next year, which brings us to this – a bucket. Since you might not be able to afford running water in your house, you might have to go to a standpipe for it. And what could be better than this? A big green bucket. And given the current condition of standpipes around the city from experience, we suggest you throw in pliers with the gift of that bucket. Or how about this? Sure, it looks like a cookie pan but if you bore a hole in it, you could start your own social security fund. And you know your money will be much safer in here than it will be with those folks in Belmopan. And for that real social security feel, you could replace this face of Santa, with the face of Narda."

He was the absolute best at what he did, fearless and peerless, an icon in our midst, part of every television family all across Belize, and an irreplaceable part of ours.....

That's just the first in a series as all this week, we'll be mining Keith's vast body of work to bring up for the countless gems that are in there.