7 News Belize

Ical Alive!
posted (September 7, 2020)
PC Bernard Ical who was missing for 5 days and counting - turned up this afternoon, alive and well - right back at the Machaquila Observation Post where he disappeared last week Wednesday.

What happened in those 5 days? Where was he? And how did he get back in one piece? Well, all that will be answered tomorrow morning in a press conference hosted by the Commissioner of Police in Belmopan.

But, tonight we can confirm that the 26 year old constable and father of two from San Roman, Stann Creek is safe and in good health, all things considered.

It's a huge relief for his family, and also for the police department and BDF. Jules Vasquez looks at the search efforts and all that could have gone wrong out there in the deep bush of the Columbia Forest Reserve:

Today, the Commissioner of Police joined 14 police officers in San Jose Village on the search and rescue operation for PC Bernard Ical, last seen five days ago at the Machaquila Observation Post.

He took a walk through the rugged road that leads from San Jose to Machaquila - not an easy road you might say.

The teams of police, BDF and Coast Guard had a vast forested area to cover, full of rutted roads, often impassable. And this road is the shortcut!

This is the better, longer road, inundated by rains. For the police, soldiers and guardsmen it was arduous but necessary:

Reporter
"What is the limit of resources and when I say that I mean financially to find one officer?"

Joseph Myvette, ACP- Hed N.C.I.B
"Well it's going to be as much as it takes to find him."

And as much intensive searching as they put in - it was mostly for naught, because PC Ical did not get lost too far from where he was last seen.

Ical and the eight BDF soldiers who make up the patrol had been dispatched to Machaquila one week ago on Monday September first - and dropped off at San Jose, Hawaii.

Patrick Cal, Chairman, San Jose
"Yes, this is a drop off point for them. They drop off here on a Tuesday morning and I think it's a two days trekking or three days trekking, depends on the road, noh."

Most of the soldiers did it in 12 hours; Ical and one soldier took a full day.

But as he got there, the entire team was ordered to return to PG - due to the approaching Hurricane Nana.

That was on Tuesday, September 2nd., the day after they had completed the arduous hike to Machaquila.

But when the patrol team went to stash some equipment in a nearby cave at 9:00 that morning - Ical disappeared and was not seen again.

Chester Williams, Co0mmissioner of Police
"They suspected that he may have left the outpost and they would have caught up with him along the way."

The 8 soldiers left him behind and headed out on the long hike to San Jose, Hawaii - where he did not appear - even 24 hours later.

They did not - or could not - report him missing until they were picked up the following morning.

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Were all protocols and best practices followed on the patrol? I would have to imagine some team protocol has been worked out where officers from the BDF and the police can keep an eye on each other."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well the fact that the police officer is missing, I think would be a clear indication that all the proper protocols and procedures were not followed."

But, tho he was left behind, alive Ical survived, he stumbled right back into the Machaquila camp today "alive and well" police say. The best news for his desperately worried family in San Roman village:

Voice of: Sofia Ical, Sister of Constable
"Yes, we heard the news, we were all glad. The entire family were very happy to hear that they find my brother. We just want to see him. We were praying very hard for him as a family."

Prayers that penetrated this bush.

Valentino Tzub - a veteran bushman from San Jose who joined the search this morning says it's easy to get lost coming out of Machaquila:

Valentino Tzub, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"Well I was worried if the police, if he mi gone to Guatemala area, once he reach to the village, he has to turn back. But, if he come in the middle of the forest, then he completely lost, yeah, because lot of trails are back there."

Lots of trails and lots of Guatemalan cross border poachers:

Valentino Tzub, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"There are many trails there close to the Machaquila, behind the Garcia farm."

Reporter
"And those tails were made by who?"

Valentino Tzub, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"By Guatemalans. Where they come cut lumber."

But, somehow even in the wild hinterlands, the Constable managed to avoid all those pitfalls and perils and stayed alive, Due in no small part to the fact that he had ample provisions:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"The good news is that he have with him 2 weeks supply of ration, so we are hoping that it is that he is lost that he will be able to sustain himself."

And, again, we'll have all the details tomorrow when the Commissioner holds a press conference to fill in all the blanks.

We note that while Ical lives in San Roman, his family confirms that he was born in Jalacte, in Toledo west, within the same general area where he got lost. He is a member of the SPU and it was his third patrol to the MACHAQUILA.

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