TIJUANA.-The physical characteristics of the three bodies found in a resort in the Mexican state of Baja California (northwest) match those of two Australians and an American who disappeared last week during a surfing trip, local authorities reported this Saturday.
The state prosecutor, María Elena Andrade, told journalists that the bodies, taken on Friday from a well in a cliff, are in an “advanced state of decomposition,” which complicates their full identification.
“However, regarding their clothing and some characteristics such as long hair and some specific physical descriptions, we have that high probability,” he said when asked if they could be the three foreigners reported missing.
Another body was found at the site, the prosecutor confirmed, but the studies carried out determined that it had been there for some time and has nothing to do with the case of the surfers.
Mexican authorities, in collaboration with the US FBI and the Australian consulate, investigate the causes of the death of the Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter.
The three surf fans were last seen on April 27 in Bocana de Santo Tomás, a tourist destination in the municipality of Ensenada, in the state of Baja California, bordering the United States.
Andrade said that one of the lines of investigation into the disappearance of the young people is the attempted robbery of the van in which they were traveling, which was found burned nearby.
On Friday, the bodies were found on a difficult-to-access cliff in the Bocana area of Santo Tomás, an area very popular with surfers.
The authorities have arrested three people allegedly related to the disappearance of the foreigners.
The resorts of Baja California, a state with the presence of criminal groups, are visited by numerous American travelers, who take advantage of the proximity to its border.
In November 2015, two Australian surfers, Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman, were murdered and their bodies later burned while traveling through the state of Sinaloa (northwest).
In March 2023, alleged members of the Gulf Cartel kidnapped four Americans in the city of Matamoros (Tamaulipas, bordering the United States). Two of them were killed.
The spiral of criminal violence that engulfs Mexico leaves more than 450,000 dead and more than 100,000 missing since the federal government launched a controversial anti-drug strategy at the end of 2006 with the active participation of military forces.
Who are the missing young Australians?
Jake Robinson, an Australian doctor passionate about surfing, inveterate traveler who shows his experiences on social networks. His account is full of photographs of his adventures around the world, always accompanied by the excitement of waves and nature. In addition to his medical career, Jake found surfing a way to disconnect and recharge.
Callum Robinson, Jake’s brother, is a renowned Lacrosse player on the Atlas Roster team, based in the United States. He enjoys surfing and likes to post stories full of energy and fun on his social networks. Despite suffering from diabetes, the young man leads a life full of outdoor adventures.
Source: With information from AP/AFP
