A 2 year old child drowned in the Belize River on Sunday morning. 30 year old Keisha Westby says that she left her 2 year old daughter Kelisha Kelly home alone sleeping while she ran a quick errand. She says she returned home about 15 minutes later but her daughter was gone. There was a frantic search and baby Kelisha’s body was found floating in the river about 45 minutes later. Beatrice Gladden is a neighbour to Keisha Westby.
Beatrice Gladden, Neighbour
“The mother told me she left her in the bed the sleep and the neighbour came to holler for her and she went to see what they wanted. When she came back
again she said nobody was in the bed and she said where is the baby. They asked me where is the baby, if she was over this side, and I said I didn’t see the baby and I said oh my peace, Lord, and I started to pray for them to find their baby. They were way by Sav-U to see if they would find her. I left from here and went to church and then I heard the pastor say they just found her and I said oh Jesus, oh my Lord. I just pray that the parents can handle it. It is really hard.”
Keith Swift,
“And you are saying these are responsible parents?”
Beatrice Gladden,
“Oh yes, if she isn’t with the daddy you will see her with the mommy around and around. She is never by herself and so I said it is something strange because that baby is never out in the yard without one of them so it is really really funny. It is really shocking.
They have to be very vigilant with those babies because they like water. You have to stay the watch, the look around and around if they are around the riverside. It is really dangerous. They have to watch their babies because they love water and so you have to stay the watch them around and around.”
The body was found by Colin Cabral. Police are investigating.
