A Belgian man drowned while swimming in Lake Atitlán in the Central American country of Guatemala. This is reported by local media. Vincent Schollen (59) may have become entangled in algae, according to a local official.
The incident happened last Thursday, but only now became known. Local residents saw him go into the water. When he set at a certain moment and did not resurface, they notified the emergency services.
According to radio station Stereo 100, volunteer firefighters reported finding Schollen’s lifeless body and bringing it ashore. The Public Prosecution Service had it transferred to a mortuary of the ‘Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses de Guatemala’ in Guatemala City for an autopsy.
A local official said the body showed no visible signs of violence. “We think he may have become entangled in algae,” he told news channel Soy502.
Schollen is said to have been in Guatemala for seven years. According to his social media, he lived in Panajachel, a tourist village at an altitude of 1,600 meters on Lake Atitlán. That lake was once described by the famous British writer Aldous Huxley as “the most beautiful lake in the world”.
According to local residents, Schollen was very sporty and often cycled and swam. He liked to do the latter in the lake near his village. According to friends, the man used to be a model and now worked for a company that makes costumes.
Authorities are now looking at how to repatriate his body. The Belgian consulate in Guatemala will be contacted for this.
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