Bodies Found in Search for Missing Surfers in Mexico

The truck of the missing surfers, found burnt on a nearby ranch.<p>Photo: Baja California Attorney General’s Office</p>
The truck of the missing surfers, found burnt on a nearby ranch.

Photo: Baja California Attorney General’s Office

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Following the disappearance of three traveling surfers in Baja, Mexico, three bodies have been discovered in the area where they were reported missing.

Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson (33 and 30, respectively), and American Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were last seen over the weekend at the popular northern Baja surf spot, K-38. Then, they didn’t show up to their previously-booked Airbnb, and Callum was absent from work in San Diego. That’s when the search began.

Now, according to local sources, SURFER has learned that three bodies have been found off La Bocana, about 40 miles south of Ensenada. *The bodies have yet to be identified.

In the days following the disappearance, local authorities arrested three people with possible connections to the case. One woman was detained in possession of a cellphone, believed to belong to one of the missing. And two brothers were arrested as well.

The car that the Robinsons and Rhoad were traveling in – a white Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck – was found burnt to a crisp on a ranch in the area.

From a statement being prepared by the local northern Baja surf community, they wrote:

“Today, we face a painful and heart-wrenching reality. Three foreigners, Jack Carter Rhoad, Jake and Callum Robinson, have disappeared off the coast of Ensenada while enjoying their love for the sea and waves. The sadness we feel in the face of this situation is overwhelming. Their families, far from home, await answers and justice.

“We stand in solidarity with them and with all families who have lost their loved ones under similar circumstances. Uncertainty, fear, and anguish should not exist. It’s time to raise our voices and come together in a call to action.”

Related: Three Surfers Are Missing in Mexico, Search Underway

A paddle-out for the three surfers took place over the weekend at Playa San Miguel.

This is still a developing story. SURFER will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

*Update 5/6/24: Families of the three missing surfers have traveled to Mexico, and confirmed the identities of the bodies. The cause of death was gunshot wounds. It is believed that they were targeted in an attempted theft of the tires on their vehicle. The investigation is ongoing.