A holiday weekend's fresh water fun turned deadly on Sunday when a mother and her two children drowned on Sunday in Dangriga. 26 year old Benedicta Valerio took two of her 5 children and three of her sisters' children for some water recreation at a local spot on the North Stann Creek River known as 'Sandy Bay,' not far from their home in second new site area of Dangriga Town.
At about four pm, after they had been in the water for half an hour, Benedicta's 7 year old son Detrell and her 8 year old niece Kenya both non swimmers who were in the water about 60 feet away from the shore suddenly disappeared. Benedicta dashed to save them but she could not swim and disappeared beneath the water as well.
It would be some time later until the bodies were found. It turns out that all three had been swallowed up in what is estimated to be a 12-foot hole at the area. The hole was left there it appears after the area had been used as a sandpit. Funeral services for all three victims is planned for Friday.
