My Mexico Story

 

Below are stories received by MVA. To protect the privacy of the individuals that submitted these stories, MVA has removed their last names.
 

Name:  Scott

July 1, 2010

On June 19th, 2010, while in Puerto Vallarta with my family, a woman was electrocuted and died from cardiac arrest, after stepping on a decorative light.  She and her husband were coming up from the beach when the event happened.  My family and I watched in horror as people attempted to do CPR.  The Hotel, which was not mentioned in the PV,MEX newspaper, refused to give guests newspapers the next day.  After EMS left with the woman, who supposedly lives in GA, two maint. Personnel ran to repair or remove the light before civil protection arrived.  I had heard that "The Villa Group" who owns the hotel, is headquartered in CA.  I believe a cover-up may be in the works by the hotel..  I witnessed the whole thing and hope to somehow help this gentleman whose wife needlessly lost her life.
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Name:  Paula

5/3/10

I am a Canadian citizen who has just returned from the Riviera Maya. I searched for days to find a site dealing with crime and cover-up in Mexico. My husband and I feel very lucky to have escaped with our lives. Our story I'm sure is not unique but we still feel we have been caught up in a bad dream. I would just like the opportunity to warn others that feel they are free from worry at a 5 star resort. I know that I'm not American but Canadians and Americans have always been the closest of neighbors and relatives. I will gladly recall our recent horror if it can be of help to anyone. I am going to contact our foreign affairs dept. to report what happened. Unfortunately since returning on Sun April 28 my body is suffering effects of our misadventure. Thank you for speaking out and providing this forum .I will be sure to forward it to all my fellow citizens before they consider Mexican travel.

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Name:  Mike

April 21, 2010

June 17 1988 My Brother was shot and killed while being robbed near Puerto Vallarta. Police stopped and tried to implicate his girl friend which is absurd. Finally the consulate "said" a man had been arrested.

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Name:  Stacy

April 9, 2010

My cousin's husband passed away tragically last week on a snorkeling excursion in Cozumel. The tour company is a locally operated business contracted by a major cruise line and took out tourists for a snorkeling trip. Her husband did not return afterward and was not even missed by the tour managers despite three "guides" hired for safety reasons. The tour company returned to shore, arguing with his wife for 30-40 minutes that all were accounted for. They also refused to search for him, denying he was missing until a local passerby took mercy on the wife and kayaked out into the ocean only to find his body floating in the ocean. He was then recovered and cpr attempted after this lengthy delay. An American physician on the trip refused to do CPR due to "liability risk". Our relative was pronounced dead in f4ront of his children after CPR failed. While his death was attributed to a heart attack who knows if he might have been saved were it not for the negligent tour company. And how can a major cruise operator contract a dive operator that is irresponsible and negligent enough to not only leave a tourist who was 100 yds out in the ocean but also argue that he did not exist and refuse a search? Can they not do a headcount? Later, local authorities attempted to charge his wife $5000 to ship the body which she was never even allowed to see. She was then stranded in Mexico with her children for days since they did not have passports. Most important- NEVER LEAVE THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT A PASSPORT REGARDLESS OF CRUISELINE REQUIREMENTS. It is almost impossible to reenter the US in any timely manner in the event of an accident or illness. I can only compliment the cruise line and US consulate on their efforts yet I believe that tourists are deceived about the risks in Mexican tourism.
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Name:  Sherri

April 8, 2010

I lived in Playa Del Carmen for six months back in 1993. Some of my new friends worked at the hotels in Cancun and Cozumel. They would have drinks at night talking about how they "lost" (died) about 10-15 tourists a week in Cancun. Deadly tides with different colored warning flags every 20 feet (clue). The most dangerous activities are para sailing accidents, jet skis and driving. Rape is almost legal in Mexico. I was almost raped walking on the beach at sunset in Playa. When my new Mexican friends found out they said I was very lucky to have escaped and that many woman got raped walking or running on that part of the beach one cove up from the hotels. Men hide in the trees waiting. The police would raid the town once a month and lock up people on bogus drug charges - but the locals know when they are coming. After the taxi driver dropped me off at the airport he asked for double what we had agreed upon. I said no but gave him a nice tip. He slammed the trunk down ma d with half my luggage still in it and drove off. I've traveled all over the world but I will not go back to Mexico.
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Name: Amanda

April 1, 2010
I’m trying to find out name and address of a 14yr old girl I did CPR on at a beach at Casamagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta. She was driving a Jet Ski and had a fatal accident. I think she was staying at hotel next door. I heard she
passed away and I just need some closure……a name, address and where she is from. I appreciate any help in matter. What I know is that the accident happened on March 27th. They brought her up on the beach at the hotel I was staying in which was the Casamagna Marriott in Puerto Vallarta by the marina. We heard she was staying next door to the Marriott but we don’t know the name of the hotel. She was 14 years old and her name was Morgan. I think she might have been from California but I’m not sure. She was taken to the Amrimed hospital first and then transferred to I believe the CQM. I just feel very unsettled about the incident. It took the ambulance 35 minutes to respond and they were only two blocks away. When they did arrive they had NO oxygen or any equipment to work on her with. It was so traumatic for her Dad who was there in shock screaming for his little girl. I did what I could, but it just wasn’t enough. My only thoughts were at least they don’t have to say their little girl died on the beach in Mexico because she did make it to the hospital. I’m not sure what, if anything, will settle me down emotionally but it’s worth trying.
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Name:  Jeffrey

March 31, 2010

We deeply appreciated your website that warn everyone for the jeopardize our safety to go to the unsafe destination of Mexico.  I traveled over 100 countries, including Mexico.  Mexico is definitely not a desire place to go.  I had a bad experience in anti-gringo territory in the past and I was lucky to survive today.  I was nearly robbed and knifed-attack by a warm-hearted smiling thug who wanted my money after I generously paid him for a taxi ride.   I quickly backed off when the merciless thug suddenly attacked me with his big buck knife.  I quickly ran and jumped over the restaurant counter to protect myself.  Several witnesses were there at the restaurant rest stop and someone called the police and the thug hid his knife.  The police arrived at the site and they questioned me, but not thug.  First time, they did not believed me what I said because the restaurant manager and the thug lied to police that there was no knifed attack and the police did not find any weapon on the body search.  I demanded the police to search the thug's car and the police found the knife from the car.  The police let me free, but they took me to the bus station while the police briefly questioned and freed the thug and somehow, the police were paid by the thug.  I was shaken, but I was unhurt.  Earlier, that thug was planned to stop in the middle of nowhere on the road, but I paid him extra and so, he continued to drive to the restaurant rest area.  If I did not pay him and/or argue with him, then I would be dead and my body would be dump in a remote forest location.  Mexico has numerous corruptions, especially for law enforcements, unscrupulous tourist workers and government officials who often let drug runners and criminals to roam and prey on innocent people by bribery.  Just recently, ten youngsters were brutally maimed and murdered by drug gangs with throwing grenades near Durango, Mexico.  How could Mexico drug lords dare to kill innocent children  by throwing grenades and heavy machine gunning on them while corrupted police and crooked soldiers were bribed and silenced by drug lord gangs and criminals?!  There are unscrupulous people anywhere in Mexico from restaurateurs to taxi drivers, including prostitutes, who want your money, especially for their favorite target: white gringos because they believed that gringos are wealthy.  Also, they often spiked date rape drugs into innocent women's beverages and that led to rape and murder.  Fallings from the balcony were often crime- related involvement by pushing people off from the balcony in order to cover up and show a lack of crime evidence - crooked police did not do anything about these unsolved crimes.  Criminals and drug lord gangs often got away from the corrupted justice and crooked police.  Mexican people had been indoctrinated by huge anti-gringos propaganda schooling media that led them to prejudice toward gringos, especially white skinned people because of a long historical animosity between US and Mexico, especially after the fall of Alamo.  These situations annoyed us terribly because we do not want to travel in a fear and anxious in the violent and dangerous country of Mexico that could ruin our pleasurable vacation.  We suggest you to avoid Mexico at all cost and go to a safer and pleasure place to visit in a much farther south such as the beautiful country of Chile.   Please do not be fool yourself by trusting their warm-hearted and smiling Mexican faces - We are serious about this - NO JOKE!  The old die-hard ruthless flamboyant Mexican bandits still live on to roam and terrorize innocent Mexicans and gringos in wild Mexico! 
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Name:  Dan

March 23, 2010

I returned from my university "Reading Break" in Cancun last February 2010. At the hotel I was staying at: 3 separate girls were raped by taxi drivers, an American was struck by a Mexican on a motorcycle and was then put in hospital for 3 days and then released only to be jailed for a night until police could figure out what happened, my friend's hotel room was ransacked and their suit case locks cut in order to steal items, I personally had several items stolen from room, my other friend was in a taxi that did not want to pull over for the police and was chased-with sirens and lights going-for several blocks before the police gave up, I went to several clubs like Senior Frogs in which their was no supervision of any kind regarding women being fondled and accosted while screaming for the guys to stop as well people nearly drowning in the lagoon water slide after going down 4 at a time. Cancun is beautiful but also has a very dark side and NO girl should ever be with out a male escort at night time. BTW the hotel was a 4 star.
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Name:  Diane

February 25, 2010

I am deeply sorry to the families who were treated unjustly. It isn't fair that these families continue to suffer when the resorts responsible for these deaths are still making so much money and luring US citizens. I came across this website because I was trying to find websites to publish my story. Trip Advisor and Orbitz refused to publish anything that can possibly hurt their business partner's profits.

On October 22nd 2009, my husband and I booked a 7 day all-inclusive vacation to Cancun through Orbitz.com. We stayed at Excellence Playa Mujeres, Cancun room 5403, which was a two-level unit with polished marble staircase leading up to a 2nd floor deck with swimming pool. On the 26th of October, I slipped on the staircase due to wet floor and shoes stacked on the staircase by housekeeping. This fall resulted in a broken ankle (fracture on both the tibia and fibula). My husband and I quickly got into a taxi cab and went straight to the emergency room where x-rays were taken and the ankle was set and I was put in a cast to support my broken bones. The doctor advised me to have the surgery within 12 hours after the injury otherwise it will cause pulmonary embolism and thrombosis; both can lead to death. I did not have the surgery in Mexico and opted to go back home to Los Angeles for surgery. We then had to take a taxi cab back to the hotel to arrange an emergency flight back to Los Angeles and the earliest flight we could get was in the morning.

After a painful sold out flight on coach, I went straight to the emergency room at UCLA Med Center for surgery and had a 6” plate and 8 screws drilled in my bones. I was off work for 2 and ½ months and I’m now back to work but can only work part time because I’m still in constant pain as the recovery for this kind of injury is extensive. I was informed by my Orthopedic Surgeon that I will never have 100% use of my left leg, but I continue to go to physical therapy to build the muscle and strength I’ve lost.

I was injured because of this hotel's negligence but they did nothing to help us. No ambulance was called and no accommodations done. In fact we were downgraded to another room when we got back from the ER. We're terribly shocked with the way this hotel treated us after paying a lot of money to stay there.

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Name:  Pete

February 22, 2010

Asian man drowns at J.W.Marriott Cancun 02/20/2010. 3 Asian men in ocean @ Marriott beach. 2 men survived riptide without assistance.  By the time a lifeguard got to 3rd man it had been at least 20 minutes. Finally rental jetski was sent to get him but was face down in water. Seemed like a vacationer that attempted CPR. It took at least 1/2 hour for paramedics to arrive. Police show up well after that. Key points Marriott had yellow flags out, not red.  I spoke with 3 people on the beach telling them to put up the red flags and 1 at the front desk after this tragedy but nothing happened until 3:00 when I spoke with the lifeguard that was far more visible than in previous days. I asked the lifeguard if the water was safe he replied yes. I told him about the man that drowned earlier in the day and he replied "It's because he was Chinese and they are stupid". He finally put out the red flags after our conversation. 1 lifeguard for 3 people is not a plan that I would expect from a high end US Hotel Company and I think that if they had lifeguards as they do in the US this man would be alive today. These men were on a corporate rewards vacation for a Global company called Terradata. I'm sure they spoke English and were very educated. I feel the hotel could have done a better job notifying the guests of the dangers that involve powerful riptides and undertows. I experienced them first hand with my 11 year old son and wife. My wife had me grab my son and use the rope to get out of the water. My son could have never gotten out on his own and we were only about 10' from shore. No lifeguard was insight that day. I am disgusted that Marriott is a multi-billion dollar American company and should have at least 3 lifeguards per adjoining hotels a total of 6. The lifeguard only had a small floating devise, no surfboard, boat or jetski.  The ocean in Cancun is very dangerous. This is being ignored for the almighty dollar.
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Name:  Mark

February 4, 2010

Message:

This is a written description of the events that took place on Monday morning, January 25, 2010 around 2:10 am during my stay at The Hotel Abbey in Puerto Vallarta

I was leaving by foot from Club Manana in the Zona Romantico area at approximately 2:00 am in the morning with a friend who was also part of my group. He was staying at The Blue Chairs hotel. My friend said he knew how to get back to the hotel by foot and that it was fairly close so we decided to walk. Many others were leaving the hotel on foot at that hour and the discos in Puerto Vallarta don’t really start gearing up until after midnight. We made a stop for food at a 7/11 type store called “Oxxo” near the hotel. After leaving Oxxo, which was only 3 blocks from my hotel, in the heart of the tourist area, we weren't exactly sure which direction our hotel was in. We were crossing the street not sure if we needed to make a right or a left. Within moments, a white truck with an open back came by with two gentlemen. My friend thought they were stopping to help give us directions. I asked for directions to The Blue Chairs. I can't recall what they said and because I do not speak Spanish, I didn't grasp what they were trying to tell us. My friend thought they were asking to give us a ride in their truck to the hotel. I wouldn't have accepted one even if that were the case. Within minute or two, a police car came from the other direction. Two or three policemen came out, started to question us, and go thru our possessions for no apparent reason. There were now a total of five policemen on the scene detaining us from going back to our hotels. (The white truck, mentioned in the paragraph above was not marked as a police truck to the best of my recollection but contained two policemen in uniform which was very obvious when they stepped out to join the police officers that exited the car). The police car had its red and blue lights flaring. I was asked for identification so I gave the officer my driver’s license from my small wallet where I kept my paper money. He looked at it and I motioned for him to give it back to me. He then asked me to put my hands up on the side of the truck where he opened all of the pockets in my cargo shorts. He began removing the contents partially with my assistance and also on his own. These shorts have ten pockets in total and I had items in about six of the ten pockets. I was fearful that I would not see my driver’s license again, in addition to my other property and had no idea what may occur next knowing there was absolutely no reason to have been stopped and searched to begin with. The officer took out the case for my glasses, my hotel room key, my camera, my bottle of Visine for my eyes, and then took out my wallet and counted all of the individual bills in front of me which was rather unsettling. I watched every move he made and was terrified with what was transpiring. He had no reason to stop me, let alone check my clothing, open my pockets, and feel my clothing with his hands. Knowing I was not carrying anything illegal, I was concerned that the police may try to plant something on me. All of their actions were highly suspicious. It was clearly apparent that this was not a case of the police searching me for drugs which was obvious when they counted my money in front of me, peso by peso, both my paper bills and coins. My friend was not next to me but was nearby and was receiving a similar interrogation from one of the other officers. It is important to note that I was totally sober, having no alcohol, only Diet Coke from 4:00 in the afternoon until late that evening. My speech was not incomprehensible, I was not staggering in my walk, and was totally coherent. There was absolutely no reason to be stopped and harassed in this manner. My friend and I were detained for about 10 minutes when they finally let us go. He walked me to the corner of my hotel. I was feeling horrified and humiliated. He proceeded to go to his hotel, the Blue Chairs. I told the man on duty at the desk of the Abbey what just occurred and he asked me if I had the police cars numbers or officer’s names. Needless to say, I had no pen, and couldn't even think straight about what was happening let alone get any identifying information. He made a report in a log book that is kept at the hotel desk. I was never told my rights from the police officers, told why I was being searched, or given explanation at all. I am a U.S. Citizen, and being in a foreign country and not speaking the language, I felt I had better cooperate with the police since I had no clue what may transpire next. When I got back to my hotel room, I checked all of my possessions and realized everything was intact, including my cash as I was very careful to watch the actions of the police officer go thru all of my bills. The next morning, my friend who was staying at the Blue Chairs, checked his wallet was not as lucky. He knew what he had in his wallet before leaving the club and when he checked the next morning, most of his money was gone. I have to say that I have lived and traveled around the world for the past 30 years and have NEVER experienced anything quite like this in my life. If I had even one more incident like this during this trip, I would have been on the next flight back to New York. I can safely say I can't consider going back to Puerto Vallarta again the way that I am feeling right now. This has truly been a traumatic experience and not something I would ever anticipate happening to me on vacation. I was made to feel like a criminal and it was embarrassing, humiliating, and possibly the worst travel experience I have had in my fifty one years of living. I called the U.S. Consulate to report the incident within 48 hours, while still in Puerto Vallarta. The first question I was asked by the assistant to the Consular, Kelly Trainer was “Is this the same gentleman who called last week?” I replied “I just arrived 2 days ago”. Clearly, this is not an isolated occurrence. This is not a good indication for future visitors to this city or to any of my family members or friends in New York that I may choose to tell about incident. I also reported this to the manager of the Blue Chairs hotel. I prefer not to take this story any further to the Mexican Consulate in New York, or any of the gay hotel travel organizations, etc. I don’t believe this was a gay hate crime as there are 25 gay clubs in Puerto Vallarta. I am told that the police are tolerant about it. I believe it was a clear case of police corruption. They thought they had an opportunity to make some money late at night, no questions asked. I am very stressed about this and even though I try not to think about it, it was on my mind all during my vacation. It is one thing if I was doing something wrong, but I was with another tourist in a tourist area, 3 blocks from my hotel and am the least likely candidate that should be stopped and harassed. If it is unsafe (unsafe from the police) to walk 3 blocks away from the hotel at night, I think the guests need to be told this. Near the same street where this incident occurred there were drunken men, prostitutes, and other unsavory characters. These are the people you should need to worry about in the vicinity of the tourists. I look to the police for safety, protection, and guidance, and now this has completely turned my thinking upside down during my stay in Puerto Vallarta and has made this tourist paranoid of the police here. This is very wrong.
 (click on the 'red text above' to expand and read the story.)

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Name:  Janice

December 13, 2009

I lost my son just over 2 years ago, whom u have posted on your website (Chris Morin Since my son's passing it truly has been hell as far as trying to get help, or answers from the government or any  other organizations here for some kind of logical answer as to why my son is not alive today.  Everything I have found I have found myself through lots of pain and heart ache. I have taken a bit of a break right now as sometimes it becomes overwhelming to think anymore and the holidays are also approaching. I also have a daughter whom asked me to please leave things  alone for now at least till her wedding is over in April 2010 as she says she needs her mother.  My son did not fall off a balcony and a lot of his death was covered up by the Mexican Authorities. I, as his mother promised to try my best for  get answers even though it will not bring him back. I am stuck and confused as to what my next step should be? My heart goes out to you and your family and everyone that  has lost someone in this place of death. This website that u have created for your son has helped me a lot as the pain I feel I know u feel. Families should not have to go through this heartache...Life is hard enough. Thanks and hope to hear from you.

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Name:  Yasi

November 22, 2009

My boyfriend Dana was murdered in Zihuantanejo, Mexico on Friday, the 13th of November, 2009. He was robbed in broad daylight...probably for his watch, which was the only thing not recovered. He was found on the pier - with the fishermen & the sea that he loved his whole life - and suffered/died of blunt force trauma to the head. He was found unconscious by ....someone...and taken to the clinic. the only thing he had on him was his phone. The EMTs called all the numbers and finally got through to his closest friends and his parents. They ordered a medi vac for him but he died of a cardiac arrest on the tarmac. The police are covering it up, saying he was dizzy and fell. I received an email from him at 11am and by 2pm his family & friends were contacted, advising that he was in a coma. Where he was found is a very busy spot, right outside the harbor master's office, on a busy fishing pier. There are people there all day and through most of the night. The police won't investigate because it would hurt tourism. We will never see the people who murdered him be brought to justice. We will never have closure. He was only 39 years old.

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Name:  Joe

November 21, 2009

I was in Cabo San Lucas this past March (2009) and went out for a walk to a sunset point- on a ridge above the Pacific.  As I was standing atop the ridge photographing the sunset I noticed two police vehicles drive to where my vehicle was parked, about 1/4 mile down a trail.  They had 2 "police" at the vehicle and four others walked up the trail, I met them on the way down.  They had drawn guns and told me to put my hands up and they frisked me.  I showed them I was simply taking sunset pictures and they proceeded to say they were arresting me for drug possession (I had no drugs).  They would not let me leave unless I paid the "fine" on the spot- otherwise I was going to be taken to jail.  They told me they wanted my camera- I said "no".  I speak a little Spanish (which helps a great deal) so I ended up coughing up $60 to them in an extortion payment. I then chided them for what they were doing and told them I hoped that the dinero would keep them drunk for a couple of days. They laughed but then one of them was upset at me talking back, and he redrew his gun and walked back towards me in my vehicle, asking me if I had "a problem", and I drove away (quickly).   What happened to me was scary, fortunately my wife/kids were not with me, they were downtown having innocent fun.  I had some excellent interaction with locals there otherwise, including in remote areas finding hiking routes over the spectacular inland mountains, but the police are evil and corrupt.  They are not really police, in civil terms, they are an extortion force and peddle for themselves and their gangs.  I love the extraordinary natural environment and the people in Mexico, but, alas, their police and drug gangs are pure evil, it's a spectacular problem and one that will severely effect peace and civil society throughout the Americas for a very long time to come.

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November 12, 2009

Though my experiences in Mexico were nowhere near as tragic as others have experienced, I think they are relevant and worth mentioning. Please feel free to use them as you see fit.

Several years back I was in Cancun and went on a group snorkeling excursion. It was not well supervised and as a result - I got caught in a current or riptide of some sort. I was carried FAR away from the rest of the group, being carried out to sea, and I was convinced I was going to die that day. I flagged down a passing ship and yelled for help... no one on board made any effort to assist. The tourists simply yelled for me to "float on my back". Somehow I managed to get back to the group boat - exhausted but I lived.

Another time I was picked up by 2 policemen at night and extorted from. I had been walking back to the hotel from Senor Frogs and they told me to get into the car. I didn't speak Spanish so I did what I was told. They drove to the middle of no-where and told me that if I gave them $300 there would be no problem. I never carry that much cash with me so they took the 40.00 I had and left me to find my own way back to Cancun. I packed my bags and left for the airport.

I will never set foot in Mexico again. The corruption is epidemic. When even the police are on the take, you can't be assured of any level of safety.

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Name:  Paris

September 29, 2009

My friend's son recently drowned in a swimming pool at a resort in Acapulco Mexico.  What are his legal options and best course of action?

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September 13, 2009

Name:  Kathryn

I'd like to offer my condolences on your terrible loss, and those of the other families.  I've been living in Mexico for 3 months with my young son, and have already experienced a pool with dangerous suction, that caused me pain, and would definitely have trapped my son's hand or foot.  My boyfriend, son, and I have also been robbed, and laughed at by the police.  We have traveled extensively on all seven continents and are not marshmallows, but our worst experience of all of these places has been Mexico.  I am an attorney with degrees from Dartmouth and Columbia Law, and would like to do something to help.  I think that if people research Mexican vacations on Amazon and find a book about these risks and the callous indifference of the Mexican officials, it might have a substantial impact.  I'd like to hear your thoughts on whether collecting these stories in book form, as well as reports on US/Mexican policies, and recommendations for change, might be helpful. Best regards

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Name:  Victoria

June 20, 2009

A group of 10 of us just traveled to Cabo in May.  We have traveled to Mexico several times...I'm always somewhat uncomfortable there.  I am fair and always get stared at and stink eye.  We were at the marina, had lunch (I had a beer and 1 margarita) and after we were done my husband and friends husband were off negotiating for a boat for deep sea fishing while my friend and I were headed to the flea market with the remaining 6 (all young people, our kids and their friends, in their 20's). My friend and I turned around to look and no one was behind us.  Thinking that we had just gotten too far ahead, we stopped at Hooters to have a beer and wait.  My friend went to the bathroom and our beers came, mine was opened.  I didn't think anything of it...but that's the last I remembered of the day.  I do remember walking back to find the rest of the party, and everything else was reported to me by our party.  I have NO recollection of events.  I was drugged either at Margaretville or Hooters (my money is on Hooters).  I don't know what the motive was - either I was being set up, or just ran into a couple of haters.  I am very fortunate that I had enough people there who were looking out for me and made it back safely.  In retrospect...I am FURIOUS!!  I am one of the lucky ones, but I will never push my luck again!  Mexico will never get my tourism dollar or anyone I can talk out of traveling there again!  My heart goes out to all of those who were not so lucky.
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Name:  Cheryl 

June 3, 2009

My husband died in Puerto Vallarta on 03/20/09 3 hours after arriving on vacation.  He was in the ocean w/our 12 y/o son.  He was in excellent health, a physician, and a strong swimmer.  The events following his "drowning" could fill a book from "no lifeguard on the beach", the hotel manager saying not to perform CPR "under the circumstances", no lifejackets for children at this particular resort, the next day "2 lifeguards on the beach w/binocular", the floating trampoline which my husband and son were swimming to "moved almost in to the shore", no access for the ambulance, the nightmare at the hospital, followed by the police station, and in general just dealing w/the Mexican government.  We had been to Mexico many times, however, will probably never return.

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Name:  Eric

June 2, 2009

My son age 43 drowned April 13 in the ocean. He was there with his wife and child. He was a straight as arrow family man, no drinks etc.

I speculate that he was caught in the under tow. No Life Guards, no warnings about the dangers. No warnings by the seller of the package, on check in or at any other time. My daughter in law was told that in a few weeks leading up to April 13 6 drownings took place and my son was number 7.I am 80 and John was my only son. My grief is indescribable. Please write or call. I am trying to get a law suit going. Not for money but to tell the world about the deception practiced by Mexican hotel operators.

Hope to hear from you,
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Name:  Tina

March 26, 2009

Message:  My sister was in a scooter accident in cozumel in december 2008.

It has been a nightmare! She died 12/29/08. She also didn't recieve medical care and we had to pay outrageous medical bills in order to have her brought back to the states. We could not get any help from the us consulate agent.

We paid $24,000 to air care just to have go get Janice and bring her back to the states. We feel your pain and I'm so very sorry for your lose as well.

Please contact me if possible.
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Name:  stephania

March 27, 2009

Message:  Hello My family and I visited the Riviera Mya this past week (3/14-3/24). We had problems with the overall help from the people employed at the hotel from the beginning until the morning we checked out. One night after returning from a trip to Tulum my father had a heart attack. I am so fortunate to say that my father is alive and I'm very sorry to hear about all of the losses of all of the people on the webpage, but my father could've been one of those people. The hotel doctor arrived and had no idea what was going on, my sister was actually holding an IV in my fathers arm while the doctor was scrambling around. He was taken by ambulance to one hospital, then to another in order to see the cardiologist. My fathers heart attack lasted hours and he could've died if my family didn't produce 20,000 US dollars in order for him to be catheterized. When my step mom asked why they weren't helping him they simply gave her a blank look and didn't care to do anything for him until they got the deposit. My father's life was worth exactly $20,000 to these people. Again, I am so grateful that my dad is alive but this is no way for anyone to be treated, not in any country in the world. We asked for help from the employers at the resort and recieved none in order to get to my father who was an hour and a half away.
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Name:  Cheryl

April 29, 2009

Message:  My husband died on March 20, 2009, at the Dreams Villamagna Nueva Vallarta area of Puerto Vallarta while swimming in the ocean with our 12 y/o son.  There was no lifeguard on duty that day, and the raft had been moved way out into the ocean to swim out to.  The waves were quite large and coming from all directions.  There were many heroic people there that day, however, he did not survive.  We have yet to receive the autopsy report.

The day after, there was a lifeguard on the beach with binoculars watching the raft that had been moved quite close to the shore.  The frustration comes with being in a foreign country where no one speaks English.  Any paperwork I have is in Spanish including the police report and death certificate which is incorrect with cause of death stating he was under water for 6 hours.  I am not sure we will ever know how he died.
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Name:  allison

Date: 3/24/09

Purpose:  Report Death/Crime

Message:  I heard you on Howard Stern today and made me think of what happened to my son in Mexico.  Nothing as bad as yours, and I will say up front that I am heartbroken for your loss of your son.  My son went to Mexico for a spring break vacation and was a college student so he was drinking in a bar.  He doesn't know if he was slipped something in his drink but when he woke up he was missing the very expensive ($1500) watch that he was wearing and the cash out of his pockets.  The next day he was away from the resort and walking down a street to meet friends at a beach when he was stopped by the police who said they were arresting him for urinating in public.  He said he hadn't even left the resort.  They insisted and were hauling him off to jail.  They told him that the beach he was going to had college kids urinating there the day before and they were going to assume it was him.  The only way he could get out was to pay the fine up front.  They brought him back to his hotel where he had his last $300 cash that he gave to the police. There was no paperwork, so I am just assuming that crooked mexican cops took his cash.

This seems trivial to report but I am reporting it because if you can't trust the officials and the police, then who can you trust?
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Name:  jeana

A group of 36 people were vacationing in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) Mexico.  We had towed our trailers down there to an RV park on the beach. On May 5th, we were robbed. They stole everything that was not bolted down.  There was suppose to be a security guard on duty, however, he was nowhere to be found when we were being robbed. I spoke to the RV park owner, and he said it was common for robberies, and that it was most likely organized crime (gangs) ripping off tourists.

I would be very careful if you are traveling to Mexico, and if you are going to go in an RV, make sure everything is locked or inside during the night.

Also, I would carry some mace in your RV incase someone tries to get inside.

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Name:  Jill

On April 10, 1990 I was in Palenque with 9 friends. It's a long story that I won't go into, but the 10 of us went to the ruins to see the sunrise, which we were told was beautiful. We felt safe because we were in a large group, some of them Mexican. On the road, as we were walking there, 4 soldiers with guns stopped and separated us. I was raped at gunpoint by one of them. I filed a report with the local tourist office and police, who arrested him. I stayed an extra week to file my statement and go through their process, but I was never asked to return for a trial. I was told never to return to that area, as his family would find out and kill me. After, I was told by the US Consulate that he was put in jail for 10 years. Whether it is true, or whether he served the sentence I do not know.

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Name:  Angela

Thank you all so much for making the huge effort to get this site up and running.  My heart absolutely breaks for your family and the all of the others who are also suffering from such senseless tragedies.  Jan. 22 is the two year anniversary of my own personal Mexican nightmare.  I have not yet submitted my story to this or any  other website other than to warn bloggers on Trip Advisor's site.....not the place to actually try to get the truth out, as they quickly yank any "offensive"  material.  I have been trying very hard to move on with my life since being raped by an entertainment manager at the Golden Parnassus Hotel in 2007.  The feeling that there is still something more that I could be doing to warn people, about Mexican tourism, is still nagging at me.  I have already dealt for two years with the "justice system", and even with assistance from the FBI, the Consulate, the State Dept., the Mexican Consulate, the governor of Quintana Roo, and every other possible source I could think of, our case against this serial rapist was dismissed, appealed, and dismissed again.  I have not gone public with my story primarily because I live in a very small town (2,000) in which everyone knows everyone else and I don't wish to subject my family or myself to that kind of scrutiny.  My children are still young. Having said this, I am still determined that there is something that I must do to make a difference.  I am one of those people who still believes that one person can be an agent for change.  This letter has rambled on long enough I guess.  What I would like to know is whether or not you have ever done any billboards advertising your website.  What other kinds of publicity have you used to get the word out about M.V.A.?  Do you have vinyl clings to put on vehicles?  Personally, I am a big fan of the T-shirt as a form of advertisement.  In Feb.people from my hometown will be vacationing at the very hotel where I was raped...and know all but one of these couples fairly well.  The thought of being quiet and just letting this go is enough to make me crazy.  I thought that when our appeal was rejected that I would be able to put it to rest, but I just can't yet.  Think I have a little more fight left in me.  Some things are just so wrong that it's harder to walk away than to stand up to it and fight.  I suspect that you can relate to how I feel.  Please let me know how you are spreading the word about your website and if I could work with you to inform people in my part of the States.

Thanks for taking the time to read this....hope it made some sense.

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Name:  Geraldine

My husband and I went to Cancun, Dreams Resort in November 2008 to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  Even though we were supposed to be safe on our resort we were drugged. Him more than I.  He experienced severe neurological changes and needed to go to the hospital.  The first crime against us was when the hotel confiscated a pill fragment he threw up and never sent it to the hospital, they put it in their safe after taking a picture of it.  The second crime was when I needed to pay $5000.00 up front on my credit card before my husband would be treated.  The treating "physician" Dr. Abrajhan at the Hospiten Cancun threatened me by stating "You need to remember you are not in your own country", when I started to question my husband's care and our bill.   From what I have read on this website we were very lucky. I feel horrified still over what happened to us I can only imagine how others feel.  I would like Mexico to actually be considered a terrorist country toward us Americans.  I think Americans only go because they don't know any better. I know we did not when we planned our trip.  There has to be something said when ATM machines get filled with 4 armed guards holding machine guns.

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Name:  Kevin

Our family went on a cruise that stopped in Cozumel. I went into town by cab and decided to walk back to the dock alone in broad daylight. On a lonely stretch of road a truck carrying 5-6 men passed me several times.

Each pass slower than the previous. They then stopped ahead of me and waited for me. As I approached they began speaking to me in Spanish. I didn't understand until they showed several handguns that I was being robbed. Even as cabs and busses drove by with other passengers from the cruise ship. They drove off and I stood in the street to stop the next bus which "allowed" me to board as a result of my circumstances. I had no ID, no boarding card, nothing! The cruise line assisted with getting me back on the ship and advised me to avoid reporting the matter because it would not result in any arrests. I insisted on reporting the incident and the local police arrived to question me. I was threatened with arrest, I was told I would be held in jail and the ship would leave without me. They accused me of buying drugs and that was the reason I was robbed. They wanted a blood sample to prove their point. I decided to follow the advice of the cruise personnel and drop my request for a report. If you go on a cruise that stops in Mexico, stay on the ship. Mexico is a very dangerous and lawless country that I will never step foot into again.

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Name:  Rae-Lyn

Two weeks ago tomorrow I witnessed a man drown at the RIU Playacar in Playa Del Carmen. I have not slept more than two hours a night since. I have many issues with this event that I need to share with you before I am able to let this go.

There are many "lifeguards" sitting on top of towers pretending to know something about life saving in this area. Be warned. THEY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT LIFESAVING. The "lifeguard" swam out to "rescue" the man that was struggling in the water without ANY life saving device--even though there are at least four that I could count on the beach. Not surprisingly the rescue was unsuccessful in waves as tall as my house with a dimwit with no life ring as the rescuer.

There were red flags out that day--danger these flags mean stay out of the water. DANGER DANGER!!!

The man that drown was a 73 year old man who should not have been swimming in the big waves and likely got on the wrong side of the sandbags meant to keep the beach from eroding) I never saw how he got to the wrong side of the sandbags only that he could not get back to the shallow side.

Many tourists attempted to help the initial rescuer while his boss from the playacar stood on the beach and watched. (with a little radio in his hand) He never got a backboard...got an airway...got a defibrillator. put towels down to lay the man on when they brought him in from the ocean, (let me guess--they've never seen anyone drown here before...)

When we finally did get the man to the beach the Riu staff were useless. The lifeguard wanted to simply turn him on his side and pat his back. The man was lifeless, pulse less not to mention entirely blue. We initiated CPR. It took RIU over ten minutes before we had a venti mask. They NEVER HAD an airway or bagger. They got us a backboard after we had been doing CPR for 15 minutes already. The ambulance arrived after at LEAST 25 minutes. The ambulance driver never assessed the pt at all. She pronounced him dead without ever glancing at him. The management of RIU was more interested with removing the nuisance than with trying to save his life. I am horrified. I feel absolutely ill. I have never felt so helpless and frustrated.

I felt there were many things that contributed to the untimely death of this man.

1)Sandbags--many times throughout our stay at PDC we saw people stranded on the "wrong" side of the sandbags--I'll bet there has been an increase in deaths from drowning in the area since the placement of the sandbags--we will likely never know as these things are not publicized.

2) Rescuer without any rescue aid and from my vantage point no rescue knowledge--I was shocked to realize that the RIU employee initially assisting me with this man had seemingly no knowledge of CPR. Three other nurses and a doctor and a firefighter (all tourists) attempted to resuscitate this man for 25 minutes.

3)No equipment to aid in his rescue: no airways,ambubag, backboard or an AED--it is 2009 people!!!

4)THE DOCTOR FROM THE PLAYACAR NEVER ARRIVED ON SCENE--NOT EVER!!!!!!!

5)The ambulance took aver 25 minutes to arrive and even then carried faulty equipment and untrained ambulance attendants.

I still feel awful for leaving this man's wife in the hands of that cold heartless ambulance attendant and the guy with the radio from RIU. I can only pray for her and her family.

Travel safely with your families and be aware that you are on your own in Playa Del Carmen!

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Name: Mary

In March of 2004 I accepted a position as a registered nurse for Club Med Ixtapa. This is a family vacation resort and I have experience both in level one trauma and pediatrics. It was an ideal vacation and work setting as I had previously worked as a camp nurse with my children. I loved taking care of the children, and even escorted others to the hospital in town for emergencies That was how I met many people including some from the American embassy.

It was a beautiful setting and in time one of my coworkers and her mom joined me as well as my acupuncturist and his daughter for family vacations. I was excited as my daughter and grandchildren were scheduled to arrive for the vacation of their life in late July.

Unfortunately the idealistic vacation spot became a place of terror, and I hid out for 10 days in fear of my life until Club Med sent me home without a job, medical insurance, and no support of me or cooperation with the local police and or the American embassy.

In late June, upon returning to my room, a coworker and two partners had been waiting for me. I was drugged, dragged from my room and taken to a guest room where I was raped and sodomized. I was found the next morning dressed in scanty clothes that were not my own. I was frightened and the whole nightmare came back to me in small increments and flashbacks over the next few weeks.

The guard and front desk person who found me assisted me to privacy and clothing. My room was found open with everything as I had left it. Someone had access to my room. I reported the crime to my boss and the human resource person from Florida Club Med contacted me via phone & set up a therapist to call me. She told me to carry bug spray. The ER Dr apologized and sent me home with one prescription. I knew as a trauma nurse much more needed to be done. I was given a new room and continued to work. My room was announced by a front desk person so anyone could now have access. I ran into the rapist twice on the paths leading from the infirmary to my room. I wasn't sure of the identity of the other two and lived in fear.

I asked about reporting it to the police and all the support was withdrawn from me. I called the embassy and they sent a representative to meet me and escort me to the police. The interpreter thanked me as he knew of other cases of this rapist but the club med employees were to scared to report it as they were afraid they would lose their job. After that co workers told me of other incidences on site and at a local bar. The police talked of a serial rapist. I talked with my supervisor and asked why I was being treated this way and he said that I was so strong, emotionally and physically how could this have happened to me. I explained that I was drugged, and he stated that the last girl remembered what had happened to her. I began to wonder why the nurse I replaced had left so abruptly.

As I was leaving for the airport, I was told to sign papers written in Spanish in order to get my flight and money that was held. Upon my return to the US a former employee asked to see the papers as he know I had been forced to resign, and would be with out any support from this company. The US Embassy stayed in contact with me and Club Med. Club Med stated they had a suspect in December but then refused to divulge the information to them or the police.

I have worked with the Mexican Embassy here in the US, and have flown back to Ixtapa to make more statements. As far as I know the rapist are still at large. The one I identified was the head landscaper and had keys to all the rooms as he was part of the maintenance department. Knowing I was not the first I would like to let others know of the dangers. I am 5 foot tall and celebrated my 50th birthday after this event. Club Med hires many young naive talented persons and their parents also need to be aware along with vacationers of not only the possibility of danger but how unprotected the victim is afterward. The police interpreter was aware of other employees this had happened to as well as many of my co workers. I wish I had been warned and hope that this can help in preventing future victims.

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Name:  Josie

Hello, I am a French Canadian from Canada. I was in Mexico in 2007 and I had been there to study a master program.

I have been a victim of the crime and corruption. I was a master student who in the university was victim of scandalous practices. They told me upon my arrival that the master program had changed, that I could not graduate and I stayed thinking they would arrange the situation. After 5 months and completing at least a degree, when I complained to the Canadian embassy, THEY FAILED MY DEGREE AND MY COURSES....Even after giving me an official degree. I spend more then 20 000 dollars to study there and I had to go home...and had wasted 9 months of being mistreated and complete ignorance of my situation.

YES, Mexico is a wonderful and extremely beautiful place but hey...they are simply not ready to meet the standards of first world countries. Lies and complete ignorance is what you get if you get in trouble.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL....do not spend your money there until real measures are taken to have them respect the foreigners who really love Mexico but in complete innocence go there having no clue what horror they can get into.

It is sooo sad because some Mexicans are really wonderful and many of us really like Mexicans but they on the other hand...do not like us...but love our money.  Regards,

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Name:  Mary

While working as a nurse in Ixtapa Mexico at Club Med Ixtapa , I was drugged and raped. I was employed at a family resort and took care of many children including embassy workers.  When the company I was working for realized I went to the US Embassy and police they let me go. After this happening I was told of many other instances on this property and in town that this had occurred. Co workers , My supervisor, the interpreter at the police station thanked me as it had been going on and people were afraid to report this. The police thought there was a serial rapist. I identified 1 of the three & have been back to Mexico to work with the police, worked with both US& Mexican embassy here in Portland OR. The company I worked for is trying to evade any responsibility and many families continue to frequent this resort. It has never been published and I would like to warn others of the dangers awaiting them.

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Name:  Fran

My Son Sean went to Riviera Maya Mexico on July with his bride on their honeymoon. He died on July 19th 2008 while snorkeling of either a heart attack or drowning. We do not know for sure and are still waiting for a full autopsy report from Mexico. My son was only 38 years old and leaves not only his wife but 3 sons and 3 grandchildren. We are devastated. Our local news KMTV in Omaha Nebraska did a story on Sean.Sean had an Echo Cardiogram just a year and a half before this and they said his heart was fine but he did have high blood pressure
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Name:  Erin

I also lost a loved one to some strange incident in mexico my brother Sean Palma was on his honeymoon at Riviera de Maya and died while snorkeling. They say a heart attack was the reason, but I don't feel that is true he was only 38. My family wants answers and we don't seem to be getting any. It is so frustrating. I feel if he had not gone snorkeling that afternoon he would still be alive to be with all of us. We need people to be aware how easily things can happen.
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Name:  Ivonne

I just want to start off by saying... what you guys have managed to do for Nolan's legacy is amazing. I knew Nolan... went to school with him and I know that what you guys have done he would of respected and loved so much.

The reason for my e-mail is to report something that happened to a friend.

It happened this year around Spring Break. It was senior year... we were all getting ready to graduate. My friend from  told me in advance she was going to Cancun for Spring Break and I was already hesitant. Then she informed me she was staying at the Oasis Resort and I nearly lost it. I begged her not to go, pleaded with her and showed her this website and explained Nolan's story... how Nolan was taken so young.

She told me she would be careful. Nothing would happen to her or anyone she was going with because they would be at a resort. I reminded her just because you are in a resort, doesn't mean you are safe. She asked me to go along with her. I choose not to go with her because of everything that has happened and that I believe the conditions in Mexico for tourist can improve immensely.

The day before she left I reminded her about Nolan. Don't drink anything that has not been open by you yourself... be careful for the bartenders and etc. When she got back from Cancun she seemed different. I asked her how it was and I was glad she was okay. At that moment she broke down in tears. She relayed what had happened right in the resort three days into their stay.

She said they had an amazing time and just kicking back and relaxing and doing what regular kids did on spring break. On the third night, they met up with other students they knew who were also at Cancun but at a different resort. At the end of the night all the girls decided to go back to the resort except for one, who decided to stay with their friends and get dropped off later. Later on in the night, Michelle* was dropped off at the resort and was making her way up to the room. Michelle* told me she thought she was safe because she was at the hotel. Little did anyone know that you had to worry about the hotel workers.

She was raped making her way to her room by one of the hotel workers. No one heard her scream... no one came to her rescue. After this whole ordeal, she returned back to her room when one of the girls saw her and proceeded to ask her questions. It finally came out that she was raped on the resort grounds by an employee. They immediately informed the Resort authorities and instead of an investigation. She was questioned but nothing came out of it. They were moved to another hotel. No justice has been handed down to this man who violated her. I know you would much rather heard it from her. But she has suppressed it and refuses to even talk about it, like it never happened. I just want you to know that Oasis Resort is still letting things like this happen. 

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Name:  Rebecca

hello and first let me say how sorry I am for your loss, reading the story about your son makes me feel ever so glad that I am still alive to share my story.  my name is Rebecca and I am an almost 40 year old wife and mother.  may of 2007 I traveled to cancun with my niece on a trip she had won in a contest for renewing the lease on her apartment at college.  on our 3rd night there I was brutally raped, beaten and left for dead by a security guard.  but I lived and have spent the last year trying to search out other victims of violent crime in Mexico.  I am working on a website for victims of rape and / or violent crime while in Mexico and would like to speak with you more about this.  please email me and I will share more of my story with you for your sight and would love to share some of your stuff on mine.  the more people who hear about this the better, because the travel people are never going to warn you about what really goes on south of the border.  thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

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Name:  Darcy

I was in Mexico and I was in my hotel and drugged and raped not just by one person but 2. I am appalled at the way that the Mexican police and hotel that I stayed at treated me. Unbelievable that is all I can say I am appalled that we go there thinking it is a safe place when in fact it is not. Murder and people dieing when they don't have to because people are not trained in CPR just kills me! I am so sadden by the stories that I have read my heart goes out to you and your family. My biggest regret is that this trip was about my son. Him and I where supposed to reconnect. He has the memory of his mother being raped I am 41 this happened in March of 2007 in the hotel in which I stayed the RUI Caribe. Nice huh. Please know my thoughts and prayers are with your family and that I appreciate this web site good for you for letting people know about what can happen there it is truly a third world country!

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Name:  Justin

I went to Mexico, and stayed at the same resort. I can't even remember what year I went, because it was that bad. it wasn't even a vacation. I got treated poorly by everyone I encountered in that terrible country! From staff at the Oasis, to cab drivers, and everyone else. The day I got there is the day I wanted to leave. I came back 10 plbs lighter, looking terrible, and people where wondering what was wrong. What was wrong, is that is a horrible place to go. DO NOT GO THERE! you are putting your life at risk. To Nolan, Live In The Sky, everybody misses you. To the Websters, I am Deeply sorry for your loss. May time Heal!

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Name:  janet

Relative fell from 4 story bldg in Cancun Mexico about 2 weeks ago and need info on his condition, prognosis...Family needs $30,000 to get him out of there via medical transport and can't get any info..pls help..thanks

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Name:  Pierce

My wife and I left Baja after 8 years of running both a bar and grill and a real estate and development business in Mulege north of Loreto , BCS. While we had gotten used to the bribes required of all levels of government,We will ill prepared for the attempt at jailing us because of a conflict with another realtor in Mulege( a mexican national). We got out just in time as phoney charges and BS just about had me spending 2 years in jail awaiting charges which would never come to fruition. I was informed by a cop I knew  that I would was to be killed in jail awaiting trial . We are back in the USA and have left all land and property which has had every level of government employee trying to gain ownership by any means possible.

Please do not retire in Mexico,visit Mexico, or invest in Mexico. The vast majority of people there think that all americans are to be fleeced and that any land they sell will come back to them someday. We will never return and are willing  to give up what is ours just to be safe.

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Name:  Darlene

My name is Darlene and I just lost my soul and heart in Mexico.

My husband Ron fell off a two story balgony. I would like to tell my story but not sure how to submit it to you.
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Name:  Vickie

My dad passed away april 26, 2008. He was with my step mom and their best friends vacationing in cancun. They had arrived the day before.

He fell from a second story balcony that was only 36 inches tall. My 3 year old niece who will never see her papa again is 36 in tall. Apparently that is standard in Mexico. There is nothing we can do about it. After the accident my step mom and the couple that went with them were not able to get a flight until the following week. They were treated like royalty the entire time they were there. I was very suprised to hear how good everyone was to them! While they were there one of the employees came to their room to check on them and told them that his toddler son had died not long ago from falling off the balcony. A toddler, is that not a big enough sign that maybe the rails need to be higher?! This tragedy could have easily been prevented!

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Name:  Ken
I was arrested in Cancun Mexico at 11AM in the Cartier Store for not paying a bribe. I had purchased about 4k at the store and a 'guarda' demanded 200$, I said no. I was detained and thrown into a truck by the Policia Qintana Roo to the horror of the Cartier Store staff, one of whom called the Canadian Embassy. I was beaten with various metal object for 6 hours while never having been told anything. I was then told '1800 por preedom' i gave them all I had, 1600USD and they let me go. They later followed me back to my hotel(Hyatt Caribe Cancun) and tried to get more money - or worse. I did receive some help from the Canadian Consulate and from the Cartier Store. I need facial reconstructive surgery to repair damage from being struck by a gun. You think the Mexican justice system is 'just'? I thank G-d I escaped alive. Do NOT go to Mexico, just dont.
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Name:  Paul
10 years ago i was mugged, drugged, and held hostage for 5 hours in a cab while on business in Mexico City.  That country is a dump.
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 Name:  alex

as a former longtime resident of san diego californa i have visited baja and mainland mexico on hundreds of times. i have many good mexican friends who live in tijuana and other parts of the country. years ago,when i first met my mexican friends and started visiting the country on a regular basis i mentioned that one of my american friends and i had come to tijuana just the two of us to drink and have fun. they became visibly upset and told us that we had no idea of the danger we had exposed ourselves to. we could very easily have been beaten robbed kidnapped or killed. we were shocked it seemed safe to us. i thought they were overly concerned. on subequent trips without my local friends as guides, i fell asleep on a resort beach and was awoken by men who beat and robbed me, leaving me pouring blood from my head, they even took my shoes.once, i was sitting in a bar and had the police walk in demanding to seach me, they "found" a large bag of powder drugs in my pocket(i dont use drugs)enough to keep me in a mexican jail for decades, they demanded a bribe, being nice enough to drive me to the atm when my meager pocket money didnt satisfy.mostly they don’t even bother to plant anything they just take your money from your wallet after search. my mexican friends  tell me that the extortion/bribe from the police is $20 usd from a local mexican and $60-$100 usd for a tourist or american. i love the country and have had some great times there, but it is EXTREMLY DANGEROUS. i would tell people that if the local people don’t feel safe in their own city then you are definitly very much at risk. it is not a place for a relaxing vacation.if you must go dress in beat up work clothes and dont carry much cash make sure small bills.never be alone at any time.dont get drunk and be aware of everything surrounding you always and trust no one.

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Name:  Chris

ive been to cancun twice and i saw the exact same thing happen. me and my friends were walking the beach after leaving the clubs and saw a group of people standing around someone on the ground. story was, a kid was in the ocean and went under. a us marine that was there vacationing, pulled the kid out of the water and starting giving him cpr. while he was doing that the federales showed up and put their guns to the marine and told him to stop giving cpr and let the kid die. i couldnt sleep all week after seeing that. the way that country is run is terrifying. down there if you have health insurance, you wear a bracelett that shows it, if you dont have that bracelett on, they just assume watch you die. we all made sure those braceletts never came off when we were there. i will never go to mexico again. 

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Name:  Deborah

I went on an "educational tour" to Mexico in July, 2001.  There were maybe 20 young teenagers and 7 or 8 adults.  We traveled from Mexico City to Cancun in ten days.  A lot of it was shady and uncomfortable, but we stayed with the group and were relatively safe.

We all moaned and groaned when we were told that our flight left at something like 5:30AM out of Cancun - We all had to be up and dressed by 4 AM. Fortunately for us, we made it. The day after we returned I read a very small newspaper article that later that same day, two people had died on the very runway we took off from - their plane had malfunctioined, and the passengers were not allowed to leave the plane.  Two people died of heat stroke in the plane on the tarmac. I will never go back to Mexico.

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Name:  Flo

Have you thought about encouraging Primetime, 20/20, or one of those type shows to consider doing an investigative piece on this issue in order to raise awareness.  I have traveled to Mexico and other vacation resorts in other countries on many occasions and you're absolutely correct the way things are handled are not at all what we are accustomed to in the U.S. 

Years ago while on vacation in Hualtulco, Mexico there was a fire in the hotel in which we were staying.  We all stood outside anxiously awaiting the arrival of the fire department and were shocked to see that their fire department amounted to a mini van with a few guys inside with what amounted to water backpacks (like "super soaker toys") on their backs.  There were no firetrucks, large equiptment, fire hoses,etc. like we have here. I'm sure there are countless stories and the American people should be more aware and educated about such risks when considering travel to Mexico and other areas.

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Name:  Joanne

My heart goes out to you and your family.  I just returned from the Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancun, told my coworker of my ordeal and she told me about Nolan.  I have just left horrible reviews on several websites about the hotel. My friend was very sick and they left her laying on the cold lobby floor for over an hour - no one would help her at all.

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Name:  joe

i too use to travel to cancun for fun as a young man in the early 1990's. it has always been a lawless and unsafe place for anyone who has some bad luck and bad timing. they will not lift a finger to help. i have witnessed dead bodies being carried away on stretcher during drinking parties and the body lay in wait for hours and hours with a napkin over the face until the party eneded. The oasis is well known and popular with young teenagers. it is a risk , a very big risk.

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Name:  Joren

People need to be more aware that the police extort visitors (and locals). In Cancun in 1995 I was walking home from a bar with a Mexican friend and the police pulled us over, frisked us, and told us to get in the car. They then drove around the more rural areas of Cancun and accused us of being gay and demanded hundreds of dollars. If we complied there would be no problem. They could have shot us and left us for dead and no one would have known. I eventually gave them most of the cash I had ($40 US) and they let us go. I will NEVER go back to Mexico and in the years since, realize just how lucky I was.

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Name:  Kim

Hi, I just wanted to say that I was there at the Oasis Hotel in Cancun when Nolan's tragic death happened. What happened haunted me for weeks and I think it could have been avoided, after reading his parents' story. I was walking nearby the pool right after the incident but didn't really see anything except for all the people surrounding him at the time. my boyfriend went over to see if they needed help and when he came back he just told me to keep walking without looking. They didn't seem like they needed help I guess and he said the guy looked really bad. Anyway, we walked by that pool again a few hours later and yes the body was still there. And it was laid down on a plastic beach chair with a white sheet over it, not even covering the whole body. I panicked. I don't get why they would leave him there for all to see. That was HIGHLY disrespectuf to him, his girlfriend and family but also to the other hotel guests. The hotel didn't even bother closing down the pool out of safety and respect the day after. I simply want to send all my sympathy and empathy also to his family.

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Name:  Sandi

Wish I had a website like this in 2005/2006.  Perhaps you should have everyone post their stories. This is an email that I sent to ALL my friends alerting them about our mishap in Cancun 2005/2006.

We just got back from Cancun and yes the hotel, Riu Palace Las Americas, was beautiful (we would definitely recommend this hotel and would stay at another RIU hotel elsewhere).  The weather was fabulous BUT the only thing that was lousy were the corrupt cops. Anthony, was leaving a nightclub one night and was hailing a cab (right outside the club). Instead a police cruiser pulled over and ordered him into the cruiser.  They went through his pockets and robbed him of his money.  They only got $20.00 (but this really shook all of us up.)  They asked him where he was staying and dropped him off a block away.  I thought that this kind of thing only happened in the movies, i.e. Traffic.  We were all shocked.  Thank god he’s okay.  I kept thinking, what if Cassie was with him, what would they do then?  She was really tired and declined to go out that night.  It seems that they can do whatever they want to whomever.   After talking to other vacationers in Cancun and doing a lot of research on the net, police corruption is an everyday occurrence and it's a wide scale problem along the "Mexican Riviera " especially if you rent a car.  The police will pull you over and demand you pay a so-called fine or put you in jail. I wish I had known this a head of time before making my decision to vacation there.  I’m just getting the word out to my friends and family so that you can make an educated decision as to whether or not you want to vacation there in the future.

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Name:  Sybil

We too had a similiar situation when my husband has hit in the chest by a Wave Runner at Club Cascadas in Carbo San Lucas, Mexico.  The restort did nothing and my husband almost died on the beach.  He had fractured a number of ribs and was in shock.  A medical student on the beach was the only help we got.  After 30 minutes and no help arriving, I ran up to the resort office screaming at them in an attempt to find out why help had not arrived.  Finally a ex-police chief told me of a good doctor to call.  The doctor drove to the resort, loaded my husband in his Volkswagon bug and drove him to his office.  That was a wakeup call for us.  I can't believe there are actually people from the U.S. that want to retire in Mexico.

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Name:  Susan

I felt it was my obligation to contact you after I saw Nolan's story last night on Fox 25 News Boston. I stayed at that very hotel a few years back and believe I had a close call with potential tragedy. I was injured at their facility but luckily was not in a life threatening situation. I suffered a sprained ankle after falling off a step in one of the bars that was not properly marked like the other areas in the hotel with simailar construction.  My travel friend was the only helpful person there. She demanded they find me crutches, an ace bandage and get me to an elevator because I could not walk and we were on the second floor. They told us they didn't have one and promptly put me in a wheelchair and carried me IN the wheelchair UP to my room. It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen. My friend and I took pictures of the step where I fell and the other identical steps that were marked with bright paint.  No one ever checked on us and when she asked about a Doctor, they said it was 100.00 just to see an American Doctor. I felt the need to share my story with someone. I am not sure if this is the right place to do so but I felt the need to share this story.

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Name:  Cathy  

My girlfriend and I went to Cancun for her 50th birthday last year.  We stayed at the Royal Islander, which was right next to the Oasis.  We sat at the pool bar on Tuesday, and ordered a drink, neither my  girlfriend nor I remember getting out of the pool or how we got to our room.  (This was after having one drink, and we're 50, not in our 20's). I woke up several hours later in my room.  Thank the good Lord. My hands were tingling and I vomited all night, I was unable to function until 2 in the afternoon and went down to report it to the manager, which he said happens all the time. But to this day I don't know what happened or if we were drugged. But I thank God that we are here to talk about it.
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Name:  Nicole

I saw Nolan's mother and girlfriend on Fox 25 this morning

and it was heartbreaking... I myself went to Cancun in April of 01' and had an awful time.  I was horribly sick and a doctor came after 4 hours and told me that I was fine when in reality I had a severe case of strep and also could not talk fo 31/2 weeks! Plus he charged me $200 USD to be there. Also our hotel rooms were robbed of everything.  To top it all off one of my classmates that was there with us got dragged into a back room at a club and was repeatedly raped and beaten.  I was terrifed and so were my parents. We were going to sue the hotel and instead they gave us a few free nights hotel stay. My parents were scared for my life down there. I think that cases like this should be shown to kids in school and also to their parents about what can really happen down there. My prayers go out to all of the victim's families on this site.

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Name:  chris

On March 3, 2007 my mother was on vacation with my dad.  My mom was a 12 year cancer survivor who was very thin and frail, not leading the best quality of life, but she loved to live.  She took the vacation through apple, and stayed right outside cancun.  On march 5, i received a phone call from my dad that i needed to wire 2 thousand dollars to him immediately.  my mom was experiencing chest pain and they refused to treat without money.  i did this, and they still asked for more money once they realized more testing was needed.  I was told she had pneumonia and would be fine.  i woke up the morning of march 6 to a phone call instructing me to come home from school right away.  I knew she was dead.  because the asked for money at every turn, they failed to realize she had a PE and it killed her early on the morning of March 6th.  I will never leave this country.  apple vacations was helpful, but nobody else was.  ambulances, forget it, they wanted money too.  I'm sorry about your son, and i know it's a senseless death.  it hurts that legally, we have no options.thanks for making this a prominent issue

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Name:  Cathy

My girlfriend and I went to Cancun for her 50th birthday last year.  We stayed at the Royal Islander, which was right next to the Oasis. We sat at the pool bar on Tuesday, and ordered a drink, neither my girlfriend nor I remember getting out of the pool or how we got to our room. (This was after having one drink, and we're 50, not in our 20's). I woke up several hours later in my room.  Thank the good Lord. My hands were tingling and I vomited all night, I was unable to function until 2 in the afternoon and went down to report it to the manager, which he said happens all the time. But to this day I don't know what happened or if we were drugged. But I thank God that we are here to talk about it.

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Name:  Joan

My younger brother; in 1987 was also found dead in a fountain at his hotel in Cancun, Mexico.  He was 26 years old. My heart goes out to all of these people and memories of flood my heart and mind when I think of that year and the 4 years that I investigated his death that followed.

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Name:  Jim
About 15 years ago, my girlfriend and I went to Cancun for a vacation. She got food poisoning from eating seafood. She was very, very sick. It took the hotel staff several hours to locate a doctor and at that she was only a nurse. The nurse(doctor) was several hotels away. By the time my girlfriend got treated, 8 hours had lapsed. We spent the remaining 4 days of our 7 day vacation in the hotel room. For an area that probably depends on tourism for income, they don't seem to care very much for the tourists.  I'll NEVER go to Mexico again.

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Name:  alyssa
I saw your story on the news this evening and it sounded so familiar.  In spring 1992 a group of us went to Cancun on spring break and stayed at the Hyatt Hotel.  One afternoon a young man who we all befriended while there, jumped off the edge of the pool and hit his head.  It was a couple of minutes before anyone realized what had happened, but as soon as we saw him floating, everyone started screaming.  Nobody from the hotel did a thing.  The bartender in the pool bar continued to serve drinks.  We had to run to get some help.  Some kids pulled him out of the pool and he was so swollen and blue. One of the girls that was a lifeguard back home started CPR on him, but still no one from the hotel even came over until a good 15 minutes had past.  Mind you we were all 17 and 18 at the time.  It wasnt until 45 minutes passed when an "ambulance" arrived.  They did not have a stretcher so they actually picked him up onto a lounge chair and used belts to strap him down.  So me friends of his went to the hospital with him and the next day told us the disgusting place it was.  They stated there was an actual drain in the room he was in, like a drain you would see in the shower.  The doctors told the friends he had a concussion, but he would be ok.  From what I remember, they flew him to Texas 2 days later and he died within a day. He had severe brain damage and brain swelling that was caused by not so much the accident itself, but the inaction.  It was a horrifying scene to see and has stayed with me all these years.  Your story is heartbreaking and my thoughts go out to your family.  My group was from Melrose, MA if I remember correctly the boy was from Milton, MA.  I dont remember his name, but the story just sounded so familiar.  Continue your work in memory of your son, there is no reason for people to vacation in Mexico, it is a different world and not one where safety is a priority.  Your family is in my thougts.

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Name:  AP
Please let your readers know that not only can you not trust mexican authorities you can not trust american hotel personnel.  my son was in Acapulco over spring break when a fire broke out in his hotel.

Thankfully for us he had not arrived yet, but when I called the best western , mexico connection office, I was told that all students had been relocated to other hotels.  I found out later when my son returned that no had been relocated, cots were set up everywhere for displaced students, my son was able to get into his room because he was fortunate enough to have booked his trip through an agent who does lots of business in mexico.  however when he entered his room the door was off the hinges and not able to be locked.

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Name:  Renee

Hi, This is a very interesting site. I've been going to the Puerto Vallarta area for about 20 years now, and bought an apartment in Bucerias in 2001. Anyways, about 10 years ago, I went to PV for a week and was walking on the beach one day. Even though it was in the summer, there were a fair number of people on the beach and in the beach restaurants. All of a sudden a man was walking next to me, matching my steps. (I grew up in sort of an inner-city area of Chicago, so this was a big red flag.) All of a sudden, he pivoted around so that he was facing me and walking backwards. He said "I know you!" and I said "I don't think so." Then he told me that he was my taxi driver from the airport to my hotel. I told him that I remembered my driver and that it wasn't him and I told him to get lost. All I could think of was that he was going to offer me a private tour of the city which would include a trip to his house where a bunch of his friends would be waiting. 

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Name:  anne

my friend is frantic & i'm writing on her behalf..her son called her on 3/14th from acapulco, said he was beaten badly, asked her to cancell cr cards etc...meanwhile she never heard back from him, which is extremely weird, in addition her mother died and she's holding off on the funeral..do you have any information that would be helpful to her.jails in acapolco, investigators..etc..that i could give to her or her daughter.  thank you for your website and many blessings to you....anne 

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Name:  Melody

Our son, Lovell Keith Adams Jr, better know as "JR"  was killed on March 18, 2005 at the age of 17 while vacationing in a resort area between Cancun Mexico and Playa Del Carmen.  He was struck and killed instantly by a speeding car with no car lights on while trying to cross a dark busy highway with family and friends.  The coward who brutally killed JR got out of his car and ran!  Supposedly, he turned himself in the next day and was released SCOTT FREE with not even a slap on the wrist.  What he did receive was a pat on the back by the Playa Del Carmen Police Dept. [for being such an upstanding citizen?] and in their official statement the police declared that he had done nothing wrong!  Commander Perez actually had the audacity to commend the person that murdered JR saying this sort of killing happens often and usually the killer doesn't turn themselves in.  In the conclusion of his report, Commander Perez declared that JR was the cause of his own death.  We found out very quickly that Hit and Run incidents are not illegal in Mexico.  According to the Mexican government, it is simply OK to kill people, even unsuspecting tourists as they cross a street [or sun bath on a beach).  Never mind that speeding cars shouldn't be on a beach in the first place...to the Mexican government, that's OK!

The bribery and corruption there is OUT OF CONTROL!  We are asking anyone who is planning on going to Mexico for vacation or for any reason to please do your research before going or contact JR's parents to get first hand information on the nightmare we went through just trying to get our precious son's body home.

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