In a developing maritime tragedy off the coast of Belize, authorities have recovered the body of Samuel Chi, a missing fisherman, bringing a grim close to a multi-day search operation that began after two men went missing during a day trip on open water. The recovery, which took place on the morning of August 4, 2026, came roughly 24 hours after Chi’s companion, Albert Vacarro, was pulled from the water alive, albeit in frail condition.
The joint search effort resumed at 5 a.m. that morning, drawing together resources from three key Belizean agencies: the Belize Coast Guard, the Belize Port Authority, and the Belize Police Department. In addition to official search teams, family members of the missing men mobilized five private vessels to join the operation, bringing the total number of search craft to between eight and nine, according to Belize Coast Guard Lieutenant Mark Choc, the service’s Operations Officer.
“At around 9:00 a.m. this morning, the body was located approximately eight miles north of Belize City, roughly four miles southwest of the location where Vacarro was rescued the previous day,” Lieutenant Choc confirmed in a press statement. Following recovery, the remains were transported to Belize Coast Guard headquarters, where they were transferred to the Belize Police Department for forensic examination by the Scenes of Crime unit.
The incident began on Sunday, when Chi and Vacarro set out on a day trip from the Belizean coast, only to lose contact with shore shortly after. Vacarro was located alive on Monday, suffering from dehydration and disorientation, leaving search teams hopeful that Chi would also be found alive. That hope faded with Tuesday’s recovery.
As investigators work to unpack the exact cause of the accident, Lieutenant Choc pointed to a critical error that likely contributed to the tragedy: the type of vessel the pair were using. “The vessel is a riverine vessel. It is designed to be operated exclusively in river systems. It’s not designed to withstand the conditions of open sea,” he explained. “Therefore, this is a contributing factor to more than likely causing the accident to happen.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and one key piece of evidence is still missing: the vessel itself. “We would definitely need to locate the vessel so it can contribute to our investigation,” Choc added, noting that search efforts will continue to locate the missing craft to confirm investigators’ preliminary findings.