An American surfer, one of three people found dead during a surfing vacation in Mexico, was due to marry his fiancée in August.
Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, was set to marry Natalie Wiertz when his body, along with those of his brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, were discovered almost a week after they went missing of the province of Baja California.
The three bodies were found in an abandoned well overlooking the ocean, each suffering from gunshot wounds.
Rhoad’s wedding to Wiertz was scheduled for Aug. 17, but she is now mourning her fiancé’s death a week after the horror struck.
The couple had reserved a venue in Columbia, Ohio for their wedding this summer, according to an online Zola wedding registry.
A photo of the smiling couple is currently displayed on the website, along with the wedding date and an option to RSVP.
The two planned to host a welcome party for family and friends the day before the ceremony.
“Following the heartbreaking loss of Carter Rhoad, Callum Robinson and Jake Robinson, our hearts ache for their families, friends and community,” organizer Aubrey Byers wrote on GoFundMe on Sunday.
“Their presence brought immeasurable joy, love and kindness to those around them, leaving a mark on our lives. »
Wiertz, 32, celebrated her bachelorette party with friends in Florida last month.
She and the California-born surfer announced their engagement in a Facebook post in July 2023.
Alongside the announcement, the couple shared a series of images from the proposal, which included snaps of Rhoad on his knee as he popped the question at sunset.
After news of the trio’s disappearance broke last week, authorities speculated that the idyllic trip turned tragic when local bandits approached the men while they were at their beach camp on a Popular surf spot known as La Bocana.
The killers didn’t even take the car they probably murdered the trio for, preferring to set it on fire in the camp.
Police have not confirmed how the men died, but noted that shell casings were found in the campsite.
Police later arrested Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, aka El Kekas, his partner Ari Gisel García Cota, and Jesus’ brother Cristian Alejandro Garcia in connection with the men’s disappearance, but were not charged with murder.
Baja California is one of Mexico’s most violent states, although tourist areas like Ensenada are considered safer.
New York Post
