Surfers Discovered dead in Mexico well were Shot in the Head

Authorities verified that three tourists discovered deceased in Mexico were shot in the head and thrown in a well.

On April 27, Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, ages 30 and 33, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, age 30, went missing while surfing in Ensenada.

The remains of the three men were recognised on Sunday by relatives who travelled to Mexico to assist investigators, according to a state prosecutor.

Officials suspect the guys were attacked while trying to prevent the theft of their pickup truck.

The attackers wanted the vehicle for its tyres and shot the visitors when they protested, according to Baja California state prosecutor Maria Andrade.

Their bodies were discovered in a 4m (15ft) deep well roughly 6km (4 miles) from the attack location in Santo Tomás on Friday.

Abandoned tents, a burned-out white pickup truck, and a phone connected to the missing surfers were discovered nearby.

A fourth body was discovered in the well, but it had been there longer and had no connection to the case, according to officials.

Two men and one woman have been detained on suspicion of direct or indirect involvement in the attack. One man has been charged with “forced disappearance”.

Earlier, the FBI said it was looking into the case and was in touch with international partners.

Baja California is one of Mexico’s most dangerous states, with local drug gangs fighting territory conflicts.

However, the Ensenada area, located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of the US-Mexico border and noted for its surfing conditions, is considered safer and has long drawn tourists from California.

Deborah and Martin Robinson, the brothers’ parents, stated Callum had been living in the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a professional lacrosse player.

Jake was on “the trip of a lifetime” to see him before beginning a new position as a doctor in Victoria, they said on Friday.

“Callum and Jake are stunning humans. We love them so dearly, and this tears our hearts.

Friends of the brothers have also sent tributes on social media.

Surfers tossed flowers into the ocean as part of the vigil

Callum’s Stevenson University Lacrosse teammates described him as a charismatic athlete.

“With his beautiful long hair and charming smile, he truly embodied the nickname ‘big koala’ – warm, friendly, and always there to lend a helping hand,” the club said in a statement.

Emily Horwath, his lover, stated that her heart had been “shattered into a million pieces”.

“I don’t have any words right now… “I will love you forever,” she wrote in an Instagram post, coupled with photos of the couple.

Carter Rhoad’s social media pages included joyous photos of him proposing to his partner less than a year ago.

A fundraiser organised by his family’s friends stated that he and the Robinson brothers had “brought immeasurable joy, love, and kindness” to the globe.

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the public was thinking about the Robinsons.

“It has been an absolutely horrendous, absolutely horrific ordeal, and our thoughts are with all of them today,” he stated in a press conference on Monday.

The deaths have instilled dread and outrage in the Ensenada community.

On Sunday, scores of demonstrators marched across the city, carrying surfboards with Spanish-language messages.

“They only wanted to surf – we demand safe beaches,” one of them stated. “Australia, we are with you,” stated another.

Surfers later held a “paddle-out” ritual, an ocean vigil, to honour the trio.