Reporter Aaron Humes passes

Tonight, the media fraternity has expressed condolences and are perhaps still processing the sudden passing of our colleague, Aaron Humes. The well-known local reporter in both print and digital is suspected to have died from a heart attack at his home on South Street in Belize City this afternoon. Humes, who was thirty-nine years old, was reportedly found unresponsive inside his bedroom shortly after two-thirty.  According to family members, Aaron’s mother, Deborah Humes, became concerned after repeatedly calling out to her son for lunch and receiving no response. Relatives eventually forced their way into the room where they discovered him motionless. Emergency personnel were later summoned to the scene, but Humes had already passed away.  

Deborah Humes, Mother of Aaron Humes: “We’d have a one-on-one conversation as a mother to a child and I said like this I say you know people are saying that I don’t want to let you go ? So he said “Mommy I don’t care what anybody says.” He said “Whenever I need to leave I’ll leave on my own timing.” He said “I won’t leave you because I will stick with you to the end.” That’s what he said to me. His last words. He got up and he went into his room. My fear is one of these days when I knock he won’t answer me and the exact thing happened. We called the ambulance, they took forever to come and then when they did come they said he already passed. They assume it was a heart attack he had. They have to do a post mortem to confirm but I assume it’s the same thing but he never complained. He wasn’t a child that complained, at no time did he complain.”

Reporter: So he didn’t have any kind of ailings ? 

Deborah Humes, Mother of Aaron Humes: “Aaron had hypertension, he was diagnosed in 2022 with hypertension but like I said he goes from since that hospitalization he’s always been to the doctor consecutively. He never missed any of his appointments.”

For many years, Aaron Humes became a familiar face across Belize’s media landscape. Known for his sharp memory, detailed reporting, and passion for current affairs, he contributed to both print and broadcast journalism and was often seen covering major national assignments. Colleagues described him as deeply intellectual and intensely focused on his craft. Though naturally reserved and at times socially shy, Aaron was warmly embraced within media circles and respected for both his professionalism and his dedication to journalism.  His mother, Deborah Humes, says Aaron displayed signs of brilliance from a very early age and developed a love for reading as a toddler.

Deborah Humes, Mother of Aaron Humes: “Aaron had always been an avid reader for primary school. Aaron could have read at an early age between one and two because he liked books. So when you want to give him a gift, always buy a book and he won’t worry about anything. Aaron started his journalism career, well his writing career I should say at Amandala fresh out of sixth form, was going to UB and then he went to an interview and they hired him. So right out of school straight into the job, writing first and then after that he moved on and he became a journalist. But when it comes to his knowledge he was born with that.”

Reporter: Did he ever talk to you in terms of what his career was like, what the relationship was like with his media colleagues, about stories that he was working on ? 

Deborah Humes, Mother of Aaron Humes: “He didn’t like controversy and the biggest controversy was when that story with Doug Singh, that took my son to a different level and I saw that story broke him because you had come to interview him. Aaron didn’t give you his side of that thing. He did not give that interview but nobody knew that because nobody asked him and he said he didn’t want anything more to do with that, he threw that over his shoulder.”

Former reporter Geovannie Brackett, who shared a close friendship with Aaron over the years, says he came to admire not only Aaron’s writing abilities, but also his commitment to the profession.

Geovanni Brackett, Work Colleague: “It’s very sad. I know for a while now he’s been back and forth to the hospital dealing with virus ailments and I could remember from about a year ago I told him I said reminding him because we touch base it’s been so many years that we’ve worked together that it doesn’t matter where I go we always maintain friendship and so I told him I said just  whatever you do drink a lot of water, drink a lot of water and like about a month ago I took him along with me on an assignment in Placencia and I said you actually got to get out of the city so I said it’s air conditioned don’t worry about anything. And we were in front of the beach and I kept asking him “Aaron, try getting into the water and go swim.” He said “I’ll go read, or I will do something or write a story.” But despite what he was going through medically he was a prolific writer, he was one of the brightest minds I’ve ever met. I wouldn’t have been half of where I had been with COLA if it wasn’t for him.”

Aaron’s body was removed from the family home at around five o’clock this evening. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Munnings Funeral Home.  Love News extends sincere condolences to the Humes family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.