Worker survives electric shock!

In an unfortunate tale in San Pedro, a construction worker was at his work place when he was accidentally hit by a severe jolt of electricity today late in the afternoon and managed to live another day. The story, according to his colleagues, is that after the down pour of rains, work was underway as usual. As Lenning Rodriguez carried on his duties of lifting some steel rods, the steel was caught close to the main electrical wire. Witness reports are that after a loud “pop,” his colleagues saw Rodriguez dazed with smoke coming out of his shirt. Multiple burns to his chest, arms and back area were visible on his body. His wristwatch, burnt shirt and working tools were on site and that itself tells the tale of how severe his injury was. Police wasted no time in responding to the call and arrived at the scene, corner of Lagoon and Sand Piper Street, moments after. Rodriguez was taken to Ambergris Hope where he was treated by Dr. Daniel Gonzalez. He was, soon after, transported via Tropic Air to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for further treatment.

The main electrical wire is near the roof of his worksite.

Burnt remains of Rodriguez's shirt. His wrist watch was borken in two, his shirt was charred and his work tools remained at the site.

Rodriguez's injuries were concentrated on his chest and back area.

Rodriguez as he boards the Tropic Plane en route to Belize City for further treatment.

Kids in Action - Bacalar Chico

On Thursday, July 17th, 2008, Belize Diving Adventures (BDA) generously donated a day trip to the Whale Sharks (7 – 9 year old group) from Kids in Action (KIA). KIA is a collaboration between CORAL, Green Reef and Hol Chan, plus dive shops and tour operators. The educational program aims to keep children informed on the value of the natural resources and our reserves. The Whale Sharks headed out at 10 am and enjoyed a scenic route on the lagoon side of the island. Surrounded by the lush mangrove forests, it seemed that we were in a completely different world.

Kids hop on to the waiting boat at the Belize Diving Adventures dock.

Curiosity has these young boys leaning over while the boat is at standstill - checking out the fish and turtle grass that grows underwater.

A quick visit to the San Juan Visitor Center showed several artifacts and models of the tools Mayan trade. Kids were excited to see the model of the canoe and seeds, as well as the full skeleton of a manatee. A quick tour of the grounds provided for some breathtaking views, and the Whale Sharks enjoyed scampering and scaling the large tree trunks.

A cool model of the Bacalar Chico area fascinates these young ladies.

After a tour of the center, it's snack time.

Climbing these giant trees was too tempting for these youngsters.

Afterwards, the boat ride took us out for a quick water tour of Chak Balaam, followed by a delicious lunch prepared by BDA. While we docked for lunch, we noticed the Coast Guard doing their patrolling in the area as well. Good job guys!

The Chak Balaam mound is visible from afar, and the boardwalk to the area is easily accessible.

Ahoy Coast Guards!

mmm...lunch!

After lunch, it was off to the seaside by Rocky Point for some swimming in the shallow waters, and a quick tour to check out an old turtle nesting site. The sight of all the fossilized coral and little eddies was unbelievable, and made for quite the photo opportunities! A special thanks to Belize Diving Adventures for their generosity, and kudos to KIA for enabling such a great day tour.

Who dat?

Many people have lived here all their lives and have seen so many changes over the years. The biggest changes are the many faces of the various people walking down the streets. All of a sudden, we don't know who we pass by on the street at all. So, every week we will introduce you to someone new: a friend, your neighbor, anyone walking down the street. Six questions will be answered, who they are, what they do here, where they come from, when they came and why they chose to live here, and a little extra fun question. Hope you like this fun feature!

Who: Karla Portillo
What: Student
Where: El Salvador
Why: Came here with my mom from birth and stayed
When: 20 years
Status: Committed