Dating back to the mid 90's, Joseph Carr had been one of the most dominant distance runners in Belize. But on Sunday morning at 10:00, the 46 year old was found dead in a drain on Pitter Street, a few hundred yards from his home. No foul play is suspected because Carr was an epileptic, and the only question is whether he died from a seizure, or if he drowned in the drain. It's a terrible end for one of Belize's most decorated runners. His wife told us that they always knew they would lose him, but what hurts them the most, she said, was the way in which they lost him. We visited the family today as they reminisced about him with joy and pain.
Shelmadeen Carr - Wife
"When I found out he already fell in the 3rd time but I was at home and he came home muddy. I asked him what happened. And he told me, he fell in the drain again. So I said how you fell in the drain again. I said this is the 3rd time baby. He said but I'm only muddy. He said so I get sick. He said, I put the bike on the side and it looked like I fall. So I told him, he has to be careful. I always try to discourage him from coming this side but side is the shorter way to our house. So, I guess that's the situation."
And that is exactly what happened. Carr was riding his bicycle coming home from work sometime after 7 when he got one of his epilepsy attacks. He fell inside the drain again but this time he was not strong enough to fight his way out of it.
Ashonti Carr - Daughter
"I was at my neighbor's house when one of our other neighbor came to us and said that they found my father in the drain but I didn't hear what it was at first, I wasn't sure what I heard. So I ran down the street, then I saw a lot of people coming. So I said, I knew it was my father because it wasn't the first time. Like Monday, we were at the gym and we were talking about the same thing that one of these days, we were afraid this would happen to him. When I reached to scene I didn't see his body but then I fell because I knew it was him."
He was well loved in the athletic community, and will surely be missed. We spoke to one of his protégés who said he thought of him as a father.
Emanuel Pech
"Tell us how this that you first came in contact with Carr?"
Darwin Rayburn - Runner
"It was from I was 13yrs old, 25 yrs. ago."
Emanuel Pech
"Do you feel sadden by the fact that you know his own passion was the same thing that drive him throughout his life, running, was what in the end led to his death."
Darwin Rayburn - Runner
"I wouldn't say it led to his death. Running was what kept him alive because without running he would have died earlier. Running and the sport of running and the giving back to the youths and seeing people, youths coming from the ground up was his joy. Anybody could come to him and say they need help or anything, be it running or otherwise. Jo was always the first one there to help anybody."
Shelmadeen Carr - Wife
"He was planning to really get back in running because he wanted to run the New York marathon. So he already started training for it and that was his goal for this year. That was what he wanted to do."
Emanuel Pech
"Despite his condition?"
Shelmadeen Carr - Wife
"Despite his condition"
Emanuel Pech
"And you guys were in full support of that?"
Shelmadeen Carr - Wife
"Yes, we were because most of the time I would ride on bike while he trains beside him in the morning, early."
Emanuel Pech
"What sort of impact did he, as a runner and as an advocate for exercise have on your entire family?"
Shelmadeen Carr - Wife
"Well, we love running in a whole. This is a running family. I used to run. So, we think running. We love running. Running is our world. Running is my past time. I help coach because I'm a certified coach so that one of our love, running."
Reporting for 7 news Emanuel pech
Carr won the men's 5k race on New Year's day - a race in which his daughter Ahsonti won the female's race. No plans have yet been made for his funeral.
Email
Print