A man was found floating in the river under the Bel-China Bridge this morning. He’s been identified as 43 year old James Herrera. Police don’t suspect foul play but as we found out, his death is still tragic. We were on the scene before police removed the body.
Keith Swift Reporting,
When we arrived on the scene at mid-day James Hererra’s body was still under the northern end of the Bel-China Bridge. He was nude and foaming from the mouth and nose. His sister Jocelyn Williams was the first person police called.
Jocelyn Williams, Sister of Deceased
“Police came and told me they just find my brother at Bel-China apparently drowned and then they took us to the morgue and when we went there I identified the body.”
Jocelyn last saw her brother alive on Saturday. That’s when they were drinking – and when James drinks – he normally has seizures. So
the family suspects he was taking a bath in the Belize River this morning, suffered a seizure, and then drowned.
Jocelyn Williams,
“We don’t suspect foul play because he troubles with seizures.”
Keith Swift,
And you’re telling me when he drinks he has them?
Jocelyn Williams,
“Yes when he drinks and he didn’t eat, he has this problem with the seizures and it is something that always catches him. It seems he was having a bath there because they found him naked and his clothes beside him. Apparently
that is what he was doing. I don’t know how he would bathe big day under bridge but that is what they say so…but I don’t suspect foul play because he was foaming through his mouth and I already told my husband we would hear my brother was in the hospital from the seizure. It is something I had already figured but I didn’t expect they would find him dead.”
Or certainly not dead under the Bel-China b ridge at high noon.
Jocelyn Williams,
“One thing with him is that he always bought me soft drinks, he would never leave out my kids. Once he has the money he would always buy me soft drinks. He even told us he win the 70 and he went to do a little job and that is why he had money. So he was a good person in that way, he was kind hearted and everything, and but just the drinking problem he had. That is the major problem he had, the drinking problem, and that caused the seizures.”
Though foul play is not suspected, a post mortem has been scheduled since it was a sudden death. James Herrera had one son who is out of the country.
