Gary Swank, a Virginia doctor and his tour guide were murdered during a fly-fishing expedition in Belize.
Gary, 53, is a cardiologist at Carilion Clinic who was recently promoted to associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He was on vacation with his wife and school-age children when he was killed on Sunday.
Swank and popular local tour guide Mario Nestle Graniel Jr., also 53, went fly fishing in the San Pedro Town lagoon around 10 a.m. when a dark skiff passed by and someone opened fire on their small boat. Graniel’s body was discovered inside the boat with multiple gunshot wounds, and Swank’s body was found floating face-down in the lagoon, about 30 feet away from the boat also with what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
Both men were rushed to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where they were pronounced dead. Results of an autopsy are pending at the Belize City Morgue and police say they believe Graniel was the target; because just a day earlier, a gunman reportedly fired shots outside his apartment complex, and one of the rounds penetrated his front door.
