An American teenager was hit and killed by a boat while swimming with her mother in the ocean off the coast of Belize, officials told news outlets.
Logan Ceylon Pratt, a 17-year-old from Oklahoma, and her mom were visiting Ambergris Caye, Breaking Belize News reported.
Ambergris Caye is the largest island in Belize and a popular tourist destination renowned for its beauty, culture, and beautiful blue waters.
The mother and daughter decided to head out into those waters, near the Matachica Resort & Spa, after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14, the San Pedro Police Department told the news outlet.
Around that time, a boat captain and guide were coming back from a tour he had given to Mexico Rocks, a local point of interest, News 5 Live reported. The captain heard a sudden noise like “he had hit a log”, he told police.
Horrified screams sounded from behind him and he turned to see Pratt and her mother in the water, wounded in his wake.
Both were injured and taken to an area hospital, police said, according to the TV station. Pratt was pronounced dead at 3 p.m.
Police took the boat captain into custody, the San Pedro Sun reported, though it’s not clear what charges if any, he is facing.
The following day, a group of protesters gathered outside the San Pedro Police Department calling for the captain to be released, the newspaper reported. While protesters agreed Pratt’s death was a tragedy, they said it was an accident and he’s not to blame.
The boat captain’s family has hired an attorney, the newspaper reported.
Source: Breaking Belize News
