JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Less than a week after 39-year-old Besmir Licaj drowned in a retention pond at a Jacksonville apartment complex, his sister returned to the water’s edge for the first time to speak publicly about the brother she lost.
Licaj was found unresponsive in a retention pond at Coquina Bay Apartments off San Pablo Road on July 29. Bystanders pulled him from the water, but he did not survive.
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On Saturday, his sister Blerta Gurguri and close family friend Tammy Wilson spoke with News4JAX at that same pond, throwing flowers into the water as they grieved.
“I had got a call from the homicide unit and they confirmed that was him, and it was terrible news,” Gurguri said, fighting back tears.
The family’s grief runs deep. Gurguri is mourning not only the loss of her brother, but also the loss of her father, who died from colon cancer less than six months ago.
Licaj had recently moved to the United States from Albania on a visa, in part to care for his father in his final months. His family says starting a new life here was his goal — a life they say was cut tragically short.
Those who knew him describe a man defined by his love for the people around him.
“He loved his nephews. He used to play basketball, swim in the pool, take them to the pool. Pick them up from school and from their bus. He always put others before himself,” Gurguri said.
“He was so polite, kind. He was an angel in our house,” she added.
According to the family, Licaj was at the complex that day to celebrate a friend’s birthday near the apartment pool. He later left the gathering because he was not feeling well. The family says he would typically call a relative or friend whenever he needed a ride. That call never came.
“We were looking for him. We looked,” Wilson said. “He’s not that type of person. He always lets you know where he was.”
Gurguri says the friend who was with Licaj that day never contacted the family to let them know he had left or that he was not feeling well.
“They said that he was going home and the pool is right there. Why would they walk this way?” Gurguri said. “Even when he decided to go home, they were supposed to let us know that he is coming home by himself.”
What makes the loss even harder to process is Licaj’s ability to swim, according to his family.
“We have so many questions. We still don’t know,” Gurguri said.
Wilson echoed that sentiment. “I mean, now that I see it, it doesn’t make sense,” she said.
As they wait for answers, the family is also asking the community for support as they prepare for funeral services and currently have a GoFundMe set up to help alleviate funeral costs
“Anyone that can help so we can give our brother the deserved funeral,” Gurguri said. “He will never be forgotten. We will always remember his memories.”
The family says they are in communication with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and are waiting for lab results. News4JAX has requested the full incident report from JSO and will update this story as more information becomes available.