A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT for Cayo, Belize, Stann Creek and the Toledo districts. Out west, the Mopan, Macal and Belize rivers are rising fast - and the dangers of that was brought into very sharp focus this afternoon in San Jose Succotz.
Two men almost lost their lives today in Succotz because they were fishing in the roaring Mopan river, and got swept away in the powerful currents.
This video obtained by our newsroom shows the men hanging on for dear life to the ferry line. And while initial reports indicated that one of the men was swept away - in fact, they are both safe.
Late this evening we spoke with NEMO Coordinator, Lieutenant Colonel Shelton Defour, who informed us that the men are safe but were apparently fishing with gillnets and as such were wanted by the police.
But, the Reporter Newspaper says they weren't fishing; they say the men got into the raging waters to change the level of the ferry cable because of the rising waters. And after that, they struggled but returned safely to the ferry.
And while that kind of activity may seem manifestly ill advised - for residents out west who live with the river every day - they don't fear the river - as was clearly evidenced this morning when a passing vehicle caught a man casually taking a bath in the raging waters.
