BELIZE - Alison MacKenzie, 43, tourist, from AZ, Rendezvous Caye, 18 Jan 2020

[j_in_c]

It's said to be dangerous due to the currents.

Right - I just was thinking it had more of a drop off which would make it harder to immediately get out of the water and then be moved by a strong current. Perhaps at certain spots it was deeper - but from photo appearances, it doesn't look more than waist-deep on an adult to me (all opinion, i've never been there). It also looks very calm in almost all the photos, but we can't know if that was the case that evening unless someone else was awake.

 

[bradfordsleuth]

I found some more 360 google photos showing the water on the retaining wall side and it does not look that deep or dangerous. Maybe in darkness or with a little bit more wave action something could go wrong if not a strong swimmer? Foul play in such close quarters just seems so incredibly risky and unlikely with no clear motives at all. Only can hope that there is a decent amount of boat traffic in this and surrounding areas such that she might still be found.

Retaining wall side of rendezvous caye:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rendezvous+Cay/@17.2333333,-88.05,3a,75y/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipMCOwoxKmIvS839OYGnl_Br41rTfrnWjxRog68F!2e10!3e12!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipMCOwoxKmIvS839OYGnl_Br41rTfrnWjxRog68F=w360-h202-k-no!7i4032!8i2268!4m5!3m4!1s0x8f5d03001e95bf9d:0x50eede0a358f97a1!8m2!3d17.2333333!4d-88.05

Google Maps

Your right. It doesn't seem deep or dangerous.
This pic seems to show the retaining wall circling more than 1/2 of the island.

Spectacular Snorkel at Rendezvous Caye with Lunch - Belize Shore Excursions | Carnival Cruise Line

This is a still from the video at the link. 44 seconds in, it shows a bunch of people swimming in the water at the same side as the retaining wall.

I imagine that at night, the currents get stronger near the retaining wall, but it doesn't appear to be at a difficult height to boost up from at water level.....unless....maybe injured or impaired.

Since I haven't visited there, this is all JMO.

 

[Seajay]

It just looks so beautiful. It’s just so hard to believe that somethings so tragic can happen in a place so gorgeous. IMO

 

[Moonlight lady]

Are there places to hide a body on the boat?

 

[UnderstandBlue]

Your right. It doesn't seem deep or dangerous.
This pic seems to show the retaining wall circling more than 1/2 of the island.

View attachment 227783

Spectacular Snorkel at Rendezvous Caye with Lunch - Belize Shore Excursions | Carnival Cruise Line

This is a still from the video at the link. 44 seconds in, it shows a bunch of people swimming in the water at the same side as the retaining wall.
View attachment 227784

I imagine that at night, the currents get stronger near the retaining wall, but it doesn't appear to be at a difficult height to boost up from at water level.....unless....maybe injured or impaired.

Since I haven't visited there, this is all JMO.

It looks like you can walk around the whole place from the air. The one and two star reviews on Carnival have some interesting info in them about guests only being allowed to snorkel in a very small area - it comes up over and over.

 

[akazia1978]

Ketamine is huge in all these places

 

[akazia1978]

She looks way older than 43 and tired. MOO, no offense meant, something is very off.

 

[PNW]

Can someone direct me to the exact picture of the man with the gun? The picture that I see of the man facing away from the camera, it looks like it is part of the plant that’s in front of him that people are thinking is part of a rifle.
MOO

 

[Beachlife926]

I’m trying to think of non-criminal ways for her to go missing. What if she tried walking on the wall, slipped, and knocked her head on her way down, ultimately falling unconscious and got swept out to sea from the currents? Once being told she couldn’t be out, she could’ve snuck in another area that was even more dangerous.
It also crossed my mind seeing the rocks/coral. I wonder if the same scenario could’ve happened if she tried walking on it?

 

[diggndeeperstill]

I still want to know if they were traveling with others. Did they have a boat in heir group? Were the crew working the tour the normal crew? Who was on the tour with them? So many questions.

Would be great to think that she wanted to escape someone or something and just hasn't reappeared yet.

any updated statement from family? Really feeling for them. The unknown is so hard I’m sure.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Can someone direct me to the exact picture of the man with the gun? The picture that I see of the man facing away from the camera, it looks like it is part of the plant that’s in front of him that people are thinking is part of a rifle.
MOO

The guy I saw was on google. Standing alone. Almost at the waters edge. No plants around him. Very dark clothes, facing the water, camera was to his right. So I saw him from his front right side. I had to move the pointer around. Bc he was in the upper left side of the picture. Could barely see him
Until opened up pic and pulled him into center. Pic from link on WS

 

[NavyGirl8404]

I’m trying to think of non-criminal ways for her to go missing. What if she tried walking on the wall, slipped, and knocked her head on her way down, ultimately falling unconscious and got swept out to sea from the currents? Once being told she couldn’t be out, she could’ve snuck in another area that was even more dangerous.
It also crossed my mind seeing the rocks/coral. I wonder if the same scenario could’ve happened if she tried walking on it?

Ever walk on coral barefoot? It cuts your feet up big time and even if slightly pushed by the current/waves, can leave 'em looking like sausage.

 

[susiQ]

The most recent case I can remember is the Robyn Gardener case.

In both Robyn and Alison's case they weren't alone. So it seems like someone in that group would know something.
Did any of them like to stay up late (night owls) and hear anything ?

This is so strange that she could vanish on such a small island.
Wonder if she really did just go for a leisurely swim and was attacked by a shark ?
So sad for her family who it seems aren't getting many answers.
Hope they know something soon !

I'm doubting she decided to go for a leisurely swim, especially since she feared swimming in the ocean according to her family. I'm intrigued by the "Captain". He states that she was acting erratically? Did her bf corroborate that? Did others on the tour witness any erratic behaviour? What is meant by "acted erratically"? The Captain is the last person to see her? When did her bf see her last? Did he hear her leave? Did he hear her come back into the tent at 2:30 a.m.? I'm guessing no. My theory (and I could be completely wrong) is that AM was restless, went for a late night stroll, or to the bathroom and saw something she wasn't supposed to see. Someone she recognized and trusted lured her closer to the water where she was subdued and taken. How convenient it would be for "someone" from a tour company to rendezvous with drug runners in the middle of the night in literally the middle of nowhere?

I think @JudgeDee may have nailed it!

 

[insearchoflight]

The most logical explanation is accidental drowning. It saddens me that searches are called off because by the looks of the area, it’s so clear and would seemingly be an easier location to find a body in contrast to a place where waters are deep, dark, and murky. She may have just gotten farther out than they looked. MOO

 

[susiQ]

New thought after reading some of the posts.

What if the security watchmen or crew were involved in some of the drug operations going on around the cays? What if Alison was up for whatever reason and saw something, say around 2:30am. Was she drunk earlier in day, erratic around 2:30am, as the captain stated? Could she have seen something, been taken and perhaps even still alive?

Exactly my thoughts too. I should have kept reading before posting

 

[whitelilac]

A person who is afraid of the ocean is not under any circumstances going to voluntarily go into the water at night. I love the ocean, but never in a million years am I going to go in during darkness of night.

I don't know if drug dealers or what have you would carry out business on that postage stamp of an island with a bunch of tourists there.....sounds risky, but who knows?

Maybe Alison did see something nefarious, maybe her previous "erratic" behavior was due to having seen or overheard something earlier and she was anxious, though I wonder if it's even true that she was "erratic". I somehow doubt it.

As for being suicidal, I don't know....again, going into the water, at night, as opposed to a much quicker method elsewhere .
I can't help looking sideways a bit at the bf, for several reasons after digging a bit, could be very wrong though so sitting on my hands.
I feel terrible for her daughters, mom, and loved ones.

 

[PommyMommy]

A person who is afraid of the ocean is not under any circumstances going to voluntarily go into the water at night. I love the ocean, but never in a million years am I going to go in during darkness of night.

I don't know if drug dealers or what have you would carry out business on that postage stamp of an island with a bunch of tourists there.....sounds risky, but who knows?

Maybe Alison did see something nefarious, maybe her previous "erratic" behavior was due to having seen or overheard something earlier and she was anxious, though I wonder if it's even true that she was "erratic". I somehow doubt it.

As for being suicidal, I don't know....again, going into the water, at night, as opposed to a much quicker method elsewhere .
I can't help looking sideways a bit at the bf, for several reasons after digging a bit, could be very wrong though so sitting on my hands.
I feel terrible for her daughters, mom, and loved ones.

BBM I'm having a hard time imagining why drug smugglers would transport their product out to a little tiny island by boat so their customers could then travel out to the same little tiny island by boat to purchase it. Well, unless the smugglers were on drugs themselves, I suppose...? MOO

 

[NavyGirl8404]

Solar power would be an easy setup.

while reading the reviews, it was mentioned that one person had great difficulty sleeping at night due to the noise of the generator and when asked what time it would be turned off, the caretaker stated he/she wanted to watch a movie and eventually the generator was shut off at midnight.

 

[GordianKnot]

BBM I'm having a hard time imagining why drug smugglers would transport their product out to a little tiny island by boat so their customers could then travel out to the same little tiny island by boat to purchase it. Well, unless the smugglers were on drugs themselves, I suppose...? MOO

Right there with you, Pommy.

Most of the theories being floated here just don't hold water with me, no puns intended.

JMO.

 

[happyday]

BBM I'm having a hard time imagining why drug smugglers would transport their product out to a little tiny island by boat so their customers could then travel out to the same little tiny island by boat to purchase it. Well, unless the smugglers were on drugs themselves, I suppose...? MOO

I’m no expert on drug smuggling, but the only thing I can think is if smugglers from Columbia or whatever drop the drugs off on the island and the catamaran that drops the tourists off is then used to return to Belize with the drugs loaded onboard. Kind of hiding in plain sight—using the tour as a front. The tourists wouldn’t know what was being loaded from the boathouse or wherever onto the boat, and that could be why some reviews mentioned the crew leaving with the boat at night? It makes no sense for smugglers to show up while tourists are sleeping—why risk someone waking up, seeing the deal when the island could merely be used as a drop off spot?

I don’t see how Alison disappearing fits in though. Even if she saw something, it’s hard to believe she’d be just gotten rid of with all those people there on that tiny island. I don’t know.