But they never returned to base, and that message was never received.  They helicopter and crew would not be found until 30 hours later, in the bottom of the lagoon. 

No one even reported them missing until 12 hours after they went down.  So, who failed to follow up? And why were they using WhatsApp on such a serious mission?  

The press grilled the Minister, and the Brig. Gen. this afternoon at the Coast Guard Headquarters about who failed to follow up and the WhatsApp factor - which the investigators found could have affected the pilot’s orientation:

Jules Vasquez 

“Since it was really a JIOC operation and Mr. Velez was in charge of the JIOC operation and he was the last point of contact with that one stroke indication was it not his duty to follow up? 

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

Minister of National Security 

“That’s a part of the investigation that is ongoing.â€￾

Reporter: 

“Are you able to share why there was no concern on your part when these gentlemen, I don’t know if you tried to reach out to them throughout the day to establish if they had concluded their mission or not?â€￾

Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega: 

“I believe the investigation spelled that out thoroughly.â€￾

Reporter: 

“Could you just repeat what you're saying the investigation spelled out?â€￾

Brig. Gen. Ortega: 

I mean it’s there. 

Yes, I mean I answered the question in the investigation so it is there in the report. 

Reporter: 

So, we’ll have to wait until

Brig. Gen. Ortega: 

No it’s there in the report 

Jules Vasquez: 

“Is there anything actionable at this point against anyone for dereliction of duty?â€￾

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

“Not at this point until we conclude that aspect of the investigation, remember what we’re talking about right now preliminarily is just the actual helicopter itself and the forensics and ballistics. There is another investigation going on as it relates to how we should, how things should have worked out internally Captain Bennet is currently working on that and that aspect of the investigation has not yet concluded. But I can assure you, I can assure you that if anyone was found to be in dereliction of duty they would be full consequences to be paid.â€￾

Reporter: 

You’re mentioning a WhatsApp as the basis by which (Major) Velez and the pilot and the plane are texting back and forth on WhatsApp could you please explain that in soldier protocol using a WhatsApp?

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

What do you mean soldier protocol?

Reporter: 

Sir it’s soldiers that were in the air and weren’t they communicating with another soldier on the ground? And weren’t they using Whatsapp?

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

Yes.

Reporter: 

So talk to us about WhatsApp in operations

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

Well, that’s what we use, that’s what we can afford to use. We don’t have the level of equipment that has us at that level of technology that we can operate or communicate at a level that we would want. We have to do with what we have and based on what the resources that are based in the Ministry of National Security that’s all that we could afford to do.

Reporter: 

Whatsapp Messages can be duplicated using photoshop their conversation can be duplicate with Whatsapp, how would you independently validate WhatsApp messages?

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

Pastor Wade, I don’t know about you but I am the only, I can understand completely why you wouldn’t want to trust me because I’m a politician and a lawyer those are two things that go with trust these days but you have. The rest of the people at this table, what your implying is that when the Brig. Gen. turned over his phone for this investigation and showed us his communication you're telling me that you don’t have any trust in the Brig. Gen. the head of the Belizean army, you don’t have any trust. 

Reporter: 

The question is what is the independent validation Sir, the trust of the Brig. Gen. comes from the independent validation of the messaging system. What is the independent validating measure for the WhatsApp messages? 

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

There was none, I trust the Brig. Gen.. 

Reporter: 

Thank you, Sir. 

Reporter: 

Is WhatsApp the only or the preferred medium used to communicate when you're out on missions, at times because that is what is available. So is there any other form of communication that would be used?

Brig. Gen. Ortega: 

Sure we use radios but it depends on the availability and the location you're at. 

Reporter; 

So radio’s wouldn’t have been an option that morning, you're saying.

Brig. Gen. Ortega: 

Could be, I’m not sure because it was JIOC conducting the mission. 

Reporter: 

So JIOC determines what is used you’re saying? 

Brig. Gen. Ortega:

For certain missions.

Jules Vasquez: 

Isn’t it a bit of a stretch to have someone flying a helicopter in operation mode and sending WhatsApp messages?

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

He was not the pilot in command, the pilot in command was Major Baizer

Reporter: 

Data is very very very spotty in that area, like the communication there is very spotty to me. You know it would raise some flags that you would rely on WhatsApp in an area where data usage is a challenge. That to me, poses a serious concern and it puts a big limitation to me on these men that were out there.

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

It poses a major concern to me that we do not have the resources, enough resources to deal with these kinds of missions indeed, that is my personal opinion.

Reporter: 

You know it says a lot about what is going on there in the BDF or the ministry if now until four lives are lost you’re saying oh you know this is a big concern that we don’t have this equipment so clearly to me, it’s like you sent these men out there unprepared, unequipped, sent them out there to their death.

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

No, we did not send them out to their death Major Ramirez had total discretion to refuse the mission if he believed that weather conditions were not favorable or WhatsApp messages could not easily be communicated. At any time it is universally accepted within the military and especially when it comes to flights from the air wing that even if he needed to communicate but couldn’t communicate he could turn back and abort the mission, the discretion was totally his.

Reporter: 

So we put that responsibility on a dead man, you’re saying?

Hon. Micheal Peyrefitte

When you read the report you tell me.â€￾ 

The report from the Honduran Air Force refers to the lack of night vision goggles, and the use of WhatsApp was determining factors in causing the pilot’s disorientation.They concluded the engine had full power at the point of high energy impact in the water.