Two West Australian surfers are missing in Mexico with family and friends yet to hear from the pair.
Grave fears ... The burnt-out van believed to contain the bodies of two Australian surfers is believed to have been torched on a bloody weekend driven by Mexico’s drug cartels. Picture: AAP/Facebook
MEXICAN authorities believe a burnt-out van feared to contain the bodies of two missing Australian surfers was torched over a bloody weekend when criminal gangs took “reckoning” in one of the most dangerous parts the country.
The girlfriends of missing Australian surfers Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman are today in Mexico in a bid to find answers as authorities try to identify the two bodies found in the van on November 21.
Meanwhile back home in Australia, a close friend of both men, Gareth Taylor, said on Monday their families held deep fears for their safety and were waiting for details to be confirmed.
There were 16 murders in the space of 72 hours in the dangerous Sinaloa region on the weekend of November 21, local media reported. The Australians were travelling in the same region which is home to notorious drug cartels including one led by fugitive drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Tragic find ... Mexican authorities inspect a burnt out van suspected to belong to the Australian tourists missing for more than a week, in Sinaloa, Mexico. Picture: APSource:AP
Mr Coleman’s girlfriend Andrea Gomez and Mr Lucas’s girlfriend Josie Cox have dental records and hair samples to cross check with DNA from the van, but authorities have stressed the two cases could be unrelated.
The two men — who were on a surfing trip — have not been heard from since November 20, where it’s believed they were last sighted at a 24-hour convenience store trying to buy a map.
Dean Lucas. Picture: FacebookSource:Supplied
Adam Coleman. Picture: FacebookSource:Supplied
A day later, the burnt-out van was found with two unidentified bodies, charred grocery items and a bicycle, in a weekend when authorities tallied the 16 mostly gun-related murders in Sinaloa.
Mexico’s general co-ordinator of public safety Moises Melo Garcia said the end of the year was a notoriously active time for criminal gangs and drug cartels.
He described the 16 murders in Sinaloa around November 21 as something like a “reckoning” or “settling of accounts” at the end of the year.
Happier times ... Keen traveller Dean Lucas is feared dead along with his mate Adam Coleman. Picture: FacebookSource:Supplied
“Well, there are times or moments in which, unfortunately, these types of things happen,” he told Mexican press in Spanish of the 16 murders at the time.
“As you well know, around the end of the year situations arise, when some people come from outside the State … Or they have some prior debt that they then have to pay, and these unfortunate things happen, but we are trying to catch everything.”
Searching for information ... A social media campaign was launched to find Adam Coleman, pictured, and Dean Lucas. Picture: AAP/FacebookSource:AAP
There is no indication Mr Lucas or Mr Coleman were involved in any illegal activity, however they could have found themselves in the crosshairs of a violent period in the region.
LOVED ONES SPEAK OUT
Gareth Taylor, who has known the young men since they were 16, read a statement from the families which said they welcomed genuine support but asked that their privacy be respected.
“On behalf of the families of Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman, I would like to begin by thanking all those people involved in the search for their sons and brothers,” he said.
“The sheer number of people that are assisting by spreading and sharing information and offering support is staggering and very much appreciated.
Long-time friend ... Gareth Taylor, who has known both missing men since adolescence, read a statement from the families.
“The priority now is to establish and confirm what events have occurred and what can be done to bring closure to the families and friends of these two very much loved people.
“As per the statement released to DFAT, the families and partners are aware the van in which they were travelling has been located by Mexican authorities and a tragic event has occurred.
“The families hold deep fears for the safety of their sons but stress they are still waiting for details to be confirmed.
“The families welcome genuine support but strongly request their privacy is respected and that Mexican authorities be allowed to conduct their investigations unhindered.”
Ms Cox revealed yesterday she was told Mr Lucas was preparing to propose to her.
Ms Gomez told Associated Press in Mexico that she feared the men had travelled by night and were hurrying to meet her in Guadalajara
“I had told them of insecurity, but never told them of the horrible things that could happen. I feel a little responsible for that,” she said.
In need of answers ... Dean Lucas’s girlfriend Josie Cox says the pair were on their way to becoming engaged. Picture: FacebookSource:Supplied
The van was found on a dirt road known as “the 25” in the Novalato region of Sinaloa.
Actor Joel Jackson posted a photo of himself hugging Adam Coleman to his Instagram page.
“The nicest man to walk the earth,” Jackson wrote.
“First guy to shake my hand after my acceptance to NIDA came through. We’d been landscaping through cyclones for days in Karratha and you never once lost your smile. @alexmccormack nicknamed you “smiley” and it stuck. Mate … no one sang as loud as you Adzy. Love.”
In tribute ... Joel Jackson (right) Instagram post regarding missing Australian surfer Adam Coleman (left). Picture: Joel Jackson/InstagramSource:Supplied
Jackson posted a gofundme link which had last night already raised more than $30,000 to help the Coleman and Lucas’s families bring them home.
On Sunday night, Mr Coleman’s mother wrote on Facebook: “Our sons life has left us, but they will be with us forever in our hearts... He has gone to surf a bigger wave, I’ll always miss you son.”
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