On Monday morning, 24-year-old BECOL employee Jermaine Orosco fell
out of an aluminum skiff in the upper Macal River and drowned. He was alone
as he captained the flat-bottomed vessel, which was found with the engine still
running. After three days of searching, Orosco's body was found in the
River on Thursday morning. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, police
had to schedule an immediate post mortem. And that's where the controversy
comes in. Orosco is from the Conch Shell Bay area of Belize City and had just
started working at BECOL three weeks ago. Because of the mysterious circumstances
of his death - his family today told us they had misgivings about the
way in which he died.
Estell Rhaburn, Aunt
"It hurts because he went home to the Lord and giving us all these
misdirection and thing, it put things in your mind that somebody has something
to hide. But to my true belief, I think it was an accident when you get right
down to it."
Douglas Orosco, Father
"I don't know what to say but I don't think it was an
accident. There is more to this. I suspect something definitely from this boss.
I don't think that he just drowned, just by accident. I am hurting from
this. I am hurting from this."
Stepmother,
"I am very heartbroken because it is my stepson and I loved him just
as if he were for me. So it hurts me very much to know that maybe somebody hurt
him, maybe it was an accident. I don't know."
Brother,
"My brother could have never drowned. I could put my life on that,
he would have never drowned. We grow up on canal side, on river side. I don't
see how big man. He can swim across anyone of these rivers 'cross and
'across. He has some long arms."
As we said, the post mortem was conducted yesterday at a site off the
Burrell Boom Road. An official police report says he drowned. But to witness
the post mortem, the family had to go through a run around from Hattieville
to Georgeville, to Belmopan, back to Georgeville, and then back to Hattieville.
Even so, when they got to the site, the post mortem was already underway. That
vexing back and forth coupled with the circumstances of his death have outraged
the family and only led to greater misgivings about what really caused the death
of a young man who this family described as an excellent swimmer.
Douglas Orosco,
"When I went there they didn't want me to see my son. I had
to show the hurt how I was feeling for the policemen to give me at least a minute
for me to see my son, for the last time. I don't like the way how they
were handling this."
Odessa Orosco, Aunt
"And when we got there, they didn't want my brother see his
son and that is wrong. I told this policeman that I know to please give us the
right to see our nephew because no matter what, we could take it. That is our
flesh and blood Jules."
Douglas Orosco,
"I talked to Dr. Estradabran and I asked him how did he think my son
died and Mr. Estradabran told me that my son died from drowning due to the fracture
in his head. He had a injury in the head but if you just drop out of a boat
boss, how will you get an injury in your head top."
Brother,
"We went way to that place up so, way to the border to check to see
if we saw our brother. We couldn't find our brother. We came down here
back and they had our brother with a fire already lit to burn my brother. When
I reached there big man, I am telling you, I let them know, and my father let
them know that you burn in hell. I buried my brother last night before twelve
o'clock. I dug a hole and I buried my brother."
This afternoon Dr. Mario Estradabran confirmed that Orosco fid get
a blow to the head and that may have caused the drowning. He explains though
that the impact to the head could be consistent with a hit from the side of
a boat, or a propellor. He says the blow to the head may have made him unable
to keep conscious in the water and led to the drowning.
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