Two communities in northern and central Belize are grappling with grief this week after two separate drowning incidents over the weekend claimed the lives of two adult men, with official investigations now underway to confirm the exact circumstances of both deaths.
The first fatality was recorded in Belmopan, where 38-year-old Rudy Bernabe Toj, a Guatemalan national residing on Otoxha Street in Belmopan City, was found unresponsive in a local creek in the San Martin neighborhood on the morning of Sunday, August 2, 2026. First responders were dispatched to the scene at approximately 7:30 a.m. following a report from area residents. Upon arrival, crews attempted lifesaving resuscitation measures on Toj, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Investigators also located an empty transparent alcohol container at the scene, leading authorities to preliminary suspect that Toj had consumed alcoholic beverages before entering the water.
A second unrelated drowning unfolded in the Orange Walk District, where 44-year-old Luciano Acosta of Orange Walk Town died after a canoe he was fishing in overturned at Honey Camp Lagoon. The incident dates back to a group outing on Saturday, August 1, when Acosta joined friends and family for a day of recreation at the popular lagoon. At around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, Acosta and another man launched a canoe to go fishing, but the small watercraft capsized shortly after they set out. The second man managed to swim to safety at a nearby mangrove stand and was rescued by other members of the group, but Acosta went missing. Search crews located his partially submerged unresponsive body hours later near a mangrove patch, with authorities notified at 8:30 a.m. the same day.
Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, a staff officer with the Belize Police Department, confirmed the details of both active investigations in a public briefing. Both men’s remains are currently being held pending formal post-mortem examinations, which will confirm the official cause of death for each victim. As of Tuesday, no foul play is suspected in either incident, but police have not ruled out any contributing factors as they continue their review.