Investigators looking for three missing tourists in Mexico say they have found three bodies, according to reports Friday afternoon.
Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their friend Carter Rhoad, from the United States, were reported missing after failing to show up to their accommodation in Baja California on Saturday 27 April.
Three people have been arrested and authorities have now reportedly found bodies.
The grim discovery was made at La Bocana, a popular fishing and camping destination near Ensenada, CBS8reported.
The Baja California attorney general is yet to formally announce the news.
On Thursday, authorities said that three Mexican citizens, reported to be a woman and two men, had been arrested. The woman was carrying a mobile phone with a photo on it matching the description of one of the men, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The brothers’ family said that Jake had gone to visit his brother, who has been living in the US, and the trio had headed south of the border to Ensenada – an area popular with tourists but also known for cartel violence.
They had not been heard from since last Saturday. Their car was later found burnt out, and three tents abandoned.
Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez, Baja California attorney general, told reporters on Thursday that authorities had not been notified straight away, so “very important time was lost” in the search for the three men.
The parents of the Australian brothers, Martin and Debra Robinson, told 9News in a statement that Callum has been living in the US to follow his dream of being a professional lacrosse player.
“He is widely known in the US as the Big Koala,” they told the outlet. “We think of him as our big soft friendly giant.”
The parents were reportedly heading to the area to be close to the search efforts.
“Callum and Jake are beautiful human beings. We love them so much and this breaks our heart,” the couple said.
Both US and Australian authorities told The Independent that they were ready to assist in the investigation in whatever way necessary.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
