Tragic End for Tourists in Mexico
In a heartbreaking development, the bodies of three tourists were discovered in a well in Mexico’s northwest, each with gunshot wounds to the head, according to authorities.
Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, along with their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, went missing on April 27 while on a surfing expedition in Ensenada.
Family members of the trio traveled to Mexico to aid authorities and positively identified the bodies on Sunday.
Officials suspect that the men were ambushed while resisting an attempted theft of their pickup truck, with the attackers ultimately shooting them when they put up a fight, as suggested by Baja California state prosecutor Maria Andrade.
The bodies were discovered in a 15ft deep well, located roughly 4 miles from the scene of the attack in Santo Tomás on Friday.
Abandoned tents, a burnt white pickup truck, and a phone belonging to the missing surfers were found in close proximity.
While a fourth body was also found in the well, officials confirmed it was unrelated to the case and had been there for a longer period.
Two men and a woman have been apprehended on suspicion of involvement in the attack, with one man facing charges of “forced disappearance”.
The FBI has begun investigating the incident and is collaborating with international partners.
Despite being a region known for its surfing conditions, Baja California has a reputation for high levels of violence due to local drug gang conflicts.
The tragic event has instilled fear and outrage in the popular holiday destination.
Protesters took to the streets on Sunday, brandishing surfboards adorned with Spanish slogans demanding safe beaches and expressing solidarity with Australia.
A group of surfers conducted a poignant “paddle-out” ceremony in the ocean as a tribute to the trio.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers conveyed the nation’s sympathy to the Robinson family, describing the ordeal as “absolutely horrendous” during a press briefing on Monday. — BBC
