And in other news, a drowning in Burrell Boom has wrecked the lives of a Belize City family. 21-year-old Jaleel Mitchell loved adventures, so swimming in the ponds at Burrell Boom - a labyrinth of pools created when sections of sand were excavated - sounded like a great way to spend a Saturday. But these ponds aren't like a regular pool, or even a beach, and they can be unexpectedly deep and dangerous. And it was in an 8-foot pond that Mitchell went under water and never resurfaced. His body was pulled out about an hour later, but there was no saving him. Courtney Menzies traveled to the ponds today and has this story.
On a sunny Saturday, 21-year-old Jaleel Mitchell decided to go swimming with his brother and friends in Burrell Boom. But it was at this pond in the Freshwater area that he took his last breath - somehow, he drowned, and by the time help in the form of a BDF soldier arrived, it was already too late.
Derrick McFadzean, Resident of Burrell Boom
"I was home taking a little afternoon nap and I heard my phone going off and I started reading the messages and I saw on the neighborhood watch group chat that someone drown in the pond to the back so I got up and went over there to see what actually happened."
"I asked them to show me where exactly was the last place they saw him and they showed me and I went into the water and about two dives, I found him with his face down in the water, approximately about 8 feet of water, it wasn't that deep."
Courtney Menzies:
"But for someone who's not a strong swimmer it's not a safe place to swim."
Derrick McFadzean, Resident of Burrell Boom
"Well yes and what makes it more difficult is that because you have like some little median where the excavator dug and on top of it it's very slippery so it's about two feet beneath the water but because people constantly use that area, it became smooth, so one you go on the edge, you definitely slip on either side and I believe that's what happened to him."
Courtney Menzies:
"So you pulled him up but it was already too late?"
Derrick McFadzean, Resident of Burrell Boom
"Yes, it was already too late, I believe he was down there already an hour."
And that's when Mitchell's sister got an alarming call, and her worst nightmare became a reality. But though Mitchell goes swimming often, his brother had warned him that the maze of pools in that area can be dangerous. And while McFadzean had a theory of what happened, Mitchell's sister believes they'll never truly know how he ended up dead at the bottom of that pond.
Brithney Jenkins, Sister of Deceased
"My next sister called and told us, you need to check on them, because she heard something that might not be true, but please just check and see if they're okay. But we found out it's true, that had happened, and so far it's very hard."
Courtney Menzies:
"Does your brother go swimming often?"
Brithney Jenkins, Sister of Deceased
"Yes he does, and he likes to adventure, he's a very adventurous person, and he was excited because it's like I tell everybody, the way how my brothers, because how my next brother and his friend used to aways go, they explained to him that it's a beautiful place, the water nice, and they gave him the heads-up that you can't do any funny movements, the place isn't like wen you go to beach, and it's a different type of spot."
Courtney Menzies:
"Did your brother tell you what might have happened that caused him to drown?"
Brithney Jenkins, Sister of Deceased
"No, not even he, he's left shocked cause it happened so sudden, one minute he stand beside them, the next he's gone."
"Jaleel was a very loving, sweet, the quietest person you could come by, he was so loved, everybody around still l can't believe it. And to me, Jaleel was one of them you could count on, he just know how to spice you up, he's just there for you all the time. And he was a very peaceful person."
Mitchell had no kids of his own, but was the youngest of ten siblings.
While the police don't suspect foul play, they are still investigating the incident and have questioned everyone who was present.
