Two children- both tourists-lost their lives in separate drawings this weekend- both at the Rio On pools in the Mountain Pine Ridge.
The first tragedy happened on Saturday when 6 year old Isaac Pipersburgh leapt off a rock into the pool doing what he called a "cannonball". His mother who had told him to wait felt a pang of fear at that moment not yet knowing that that leap would be Isaac's last.
The family - which has Belizean roots - had come to Belize on vacation for the dual purposes of celebrating a slew of graduations as well as the couple's 10-year-Anniversary. They will return having endured the ultimate tragedy in the death of their 6 year old son. Still mourning today the couple who chose to speak off camera sat down with Cherisse Halsall in San Ignacio. Here is what they told us about the vibrant joyful child who, for them, now sleeps a deathless sleep.
Mark Pipersburgh, Issac's Father
"We arrived at the pools, the Rio On pools had lunch about 12:30 and I first took him down, he likes to explore and just held his hand, we went down just to explore how deep the water was, how cold the water was, ran around and he went back to his mom to get his floaties. We put his floaties on his arm the sunblock. We jumped in the water went all over the place. Eventually he started to wander just up to the higher water and there were cousins all over the place so we thought it'll be okay. He has his floaties on. Esther was around trying not to slip."
Esther Pipersburgh, Issac's mother
"He was behind me and Mark was behind Issac helping his aunt to mauever in the water and he was behind me and I was navigating through the rocks trying not to slip. When I went through this one area of the path that I was trying to get to I could see this little stream. I could see it wasn't deep but I could feel with my foot that it was slippery so I was slowly. I was looking down making sure I was sure of my step and in that moment when I looked down Issac went or veered in the other direction towards my right and then I saw him running, running, running. I got across I looked over at him and I said Issac wait for your dad and at that moment he, what was the word that was used?"
Mark Pipersburgh, Issac's Father
"He jumped in."
Esther Pipersburgh, Issac's mother
"No, but what was the word that was used? A cannonball."
"He did a cannonball. At that moment he did a cannonball and I yelled for Mark and Mark started slowly coming up towards where Issac was and I'm looking waiting for him to come up I saw his hat come up and then that floated away and I thought you know that makes sense since there was no strap. And then I saw one of his floaties pop up and i thought it was his arm and I thought okay the rest of him will follow, nope that one floated away, and then when his second floaty came up I panicked and by that time I think Mark was already near and looking. So when that second floaty came up I screamed I yelled I was yelling for him, I was crying. I went completely crazy."
"And with me screaming everyone that was there heard it and they all came to help look for Isaac. Everyone came looking for Issac. People from the area who were tourists too or I don't know just a lot of people over there and they canvassed the waters looking at the different pools. Some drove up to a certain location, they drove up to the lookout point. Some more people came they went up to the mountain calling for him. I went back to the car to see if he was there. But I knew, I knew he was stuck, I knew he was in some crevice because he never came out. Someone would have seen Issac come out and he never came out."
Cherisse Halsall:
"I have to ask you guys both of you, you seem incredibly strong how is it that your able to hold on in this manner at this time when this is so fresh?"
Mark Pipersburgh, Issac's Father
"Lots of prayers, the brothers had just left here. They shared a lot of scriptures with us - they are very encouraging. We've had a lot of support with our family here, there were more family that was here yesterday, they left and some more is coming tomorrow. We've been on the phone day and night with family. I've told the story multiple times already, but yeah."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Is there a particular piece of scripture that has kind of grounded you to the reality that you find yourselves in right now?"
Esther Pipersburgh, Issac's mother
"I feel like really for me it's the one being that we're all Jehovah Witnesses that is very common, that we share with those when we're out in the ministries and it's revelation 21:04 and when I think about it. It just makes more sense. Do you want to read it Marky?"
Mark Pipersburgh, Issac's Father
"Revelation 21:04 says and he will wipe out every tear from their eyes and death will be no more, neither will mourning, nor outcry, nor pain be no more. The former things have passed away."
Esther Pipersburgh, Issac's mother
"We see issac as he's sleeping you know a long nap. We have our moments and I've wailed so much. I've wailed, a lot, a lot, I feel that between all our tears there have been more tears than the waters that took our son."
And Isaac's parents told Channel 7 that they aren't leaving Belize without him, as much as they want to get back to their home in Phoneix Arizona they will stay here until Isaac's autopsy is concluded and until they can secure all the necessary paperwork to make sure he can fly home with them.
