Tonight, a family from the village of San Juan in the Stann Creek district continues to mourn the loss of a loved-one who had a nasty fall in the jungles of the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary.
The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Lucero Selena Aguirre. At around 6:30 a.m. yesterday, Aguirre, her husband, 44-year-old Estuardo Aguirre, and her sister, Guadelupe Martinez, left the compound of the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary, and they were heading to the waterfall in the dense jungle. They were in the company of a tour guide and ended up hiking for about an hour and 45 minutes. Finally, they arrived at the waterfall, and while they were walking down a steep, slippery slope, Lucero Aguirre lost her balance, fell off the slope's edge, and tumbled down onto some big rocks. She hit her head and became unconscious. Her husband rushed down to her aid, but she was unresponsive, and her left arm was fractured.
The Southern Emergency Service was contacted, and Lucero Aguirre was rushed to the Southern Regional Hospital as soon as they responded. Unfortunately, when they arrived at the hospital, she passed away.
Police are now treating this tragedy as a death investigation.
The Belize Audubon Society which manages the park put out a statement today saying when they learned someone had been injured on the Tiger Fern Trail, four trained personnel stationed at the sanctuary immediately responded and provided aid to Aguirre until the paramedic team arrived.
As a result of the tragic accident, qquote, "the Belize Audubon Society has advised tourism partners and the public that the Tiger Fern Trail is closed until further notice. BAS is cooperating fully with the police department as it carries out its investigation. In addition to the official investigation, BAS will also be conducting an assessment of the trails at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary."
