Parents of Australian surfers found dead in Mexico speak out

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) – The parents of two Australian surfers found dead in Baja California, Mexico last week spoke publicly Tuesday and shared more personal statements about their two sons.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Callum and Jake have been murdered,” said Debra Robinson, mother of Jake and Callum Robinson. “Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us.”

According to previous reports, Jake and Callum were on a surfing trip along the coast south of the city of Ensenada with their boyfriend, a San Diego resident named Jack Carter Rhoad, when they went missing.

On Friday, the Baja California attorney general’s office confirmed that three bodies were found in La Bocana, about 130 miles south of San Diego.

“Now it’s time to bring her home to family and friends and to the ocean waves of Australia,” Robinson said on Tuesday.

She described Callum as a “lovable, larger-than-life character” who played professional lacrosse in the Premier Lacrosse League. Meanwhile, his brother Jake was a “happy, gentle and compassionate soul” who pursued a career in medicine.

“We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of emotion and support we received for Callum and Jake,” Robinson continued. “We know they were truly loved and impacted many people’s lives.”

The couple’s father, Martin Robinson, thanked the support of government authorities, Rachel Moseley, the Australian ambassador to Mexico, and their friends and families in the US and Australia.

According to Baja California Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez, the men’s families last heard from them on Saturday, April 27, but did not notify police until several days later when the men did not show up at their Airbnb.

Authorities said thieves apparently killed her after an attempt to steal her truck for its tires failed. According to the Baja California state prosecutor’s office, their bodies, which were positively identified by relatives, were later found about 15 meters deep in a remote well.

Prosecutors said three suspects were being questioned in connection with the killings.

On Sunday evening, more than a hundred family members and friends gathered at the Point Loma Nazarene University football field for a candlelight vigil honoring the three men.

GoFundMe fundraisers have been set up for Carter Rhoads memorial services and to support Callum and Jake’s family.