Two Australian surfers are presumed dead after two bodies were found in a burnt out surfing van by the side of the road in a notoriously dangerous part of Mexico.
Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman were originally from the small town of Golden Bay in Western Australian, but they have spent the last few years laboring on building sites and working at ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies.
Dean’s girlfriend, Josie Cox, says they traveled down to Mexico in November to enjoy some warmer temperatures and catch some waves.
They had been keeping in touch with family and friends on Facebook until last Friday, when the messages suddenly stopped.
The two men were last seen getting off a ferry from Cabo san Lucas on the Baja Peninsula, with plans to drive to Guadalajara.
“They had solid plans and a reservation to be in Guadalajara by Saturday 21 November but they never arrived,” Josie said.
Dean was booked on a flight out of Los Angeles to London on December 2.
In the hours before the remains of their campervan were found, Josie wrote on Facebook: “They are very keen and confident surfers from Australia and may have gone in search of waves in remote villages close by.”
She was praying they had stopped to camp somewhere overnight but later found a news report in Spanish, saying the van in which they had been traveling had been found, destroyed.
“Never felt so alone and useless,” she wrote, “On my way to get some answers.”
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement on Sunday, saying they were assisting families of both men.
A Go Fund Me page has been established, apparently to raise money to get their families to Mexico to retrieve the bodies.
“We are currently raising funds to help support both families in getting over to Mexico and bringing Dean and Adam back home to WA safely. Any contributions is greatly appreciated,” the page says.
