Chilling find in search for missing Aussie brothers on surf trip in Mexico
Investigators have made a grim discovery as part of their search for Australian brothers who went missing on a surf trip in Mexico.
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A burnt-out white ute, which is believed to belong to one of the Perth brothers missing in Mexico, has been found.
Brothers Jake, 30, and Callum Robinson, 33, and their friend Jack Rhoad, 30, had been on a surfing and camping trip in the Baja California region of Mexico, near Ensenada when they vanished earlier this week.
Family and friends took to social media to ask for help to find them after they failed to check into their Airbnb in Rosarito, near the US-Mexico border on Saturday morning.
On Friday morning, Baja California Attorney-General María Elena Andrade Ramírez told reporters three Mexican people had been arrested in connection to the case, Nine reports.
It is understood police were able to make the arrests after one of the brothers’ mobile phones was turned back on, and pinged a local mobile tower.
A woman was found in possession of the phone as well as some illicit drugs.
She was arrested along with two other men.
Ms Ramírez said three abandoned tents had been found south of the Ensenada region where the boys were believed to be staying before they disappeared.
Local media has reported blood was discovered in the tents.
A burnt-out car was also found on a ranch in the Santo Tomás area after the ranch manager called 911 on Thursday (local time), according to local media TalkBaja.
A check of the vehicle’s VIN reportedly identified it as belonging to one of the three missing surfers.
The men were said to be driving a Chevrolet Colorado with the Californian number plate 70189W1.
“A working team (of investigators) is at the site where they were last seen, where tents and other evidence was found that could be linked to these three people we have under investigation,” Andrade Ramírez said on Thursday, the Washington Post reports.
“There is a lot of important information that we can’t make public.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Friday morning that DFAT has been in touch with the brother’s family.
‘This is a really concerning situation,” he said.
“Our embassy in Mexico is working with local authorities as well to try to ascertain what has happened here.”
“We hope that these brothers are found safely but there is real concern about the fact that they’ve gone missing.”
“Their mother is obviously very distressed about this and we just hope for a positive outcome.”
Mrs Robinson made the call-out on Thursday after she hadn’t hear from her sons in a few days.
The brothers failed to check in to their Airbnb and Callum who was due back at work in San Diego never turned up.
“Reaching out to anyone who has seen my two sons,” Ms Robinson wrote on Facebook.
“They are travelling with another friend, an American citizen.
“They were due to book into an Airbnb in Rosarito after their camping weekend but they did not show up.”
Their mother is also particularly concerned because Callum suffers from type 1 diabetes.
She also shared a photo which said her sons had gone missing around the Rosarito and Ensenada region of Baja California on Saturday morning.
Rosarito is a coastal city in Baja California, Mexico and is about an hour’s drive north of Ensenada and a 45 minute drive south of the US city of San Diego.
Lacrosse Australia issued a statement on social media expressing its concern over the whereabouts of Jake, Callum and their friend, Jack Carter Rhoad.
It described Callum as an “Australian lacrosse star”.
“We urge the Australian lacrosse community and our global lacrosse family to continue sharing the post from Callum’s friends and family (located on the LA Facebook and Instagram story) in the hope that Callum, Jake and Jack are found safe and sound,” it said.
“Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the Callum, Jake and Jack during this incredibly stressful time.”
WA Premier Roger Cook said the situation was “very worrying”.
“When we do send our young men and women overseas to enjoy that adventure holiday, they invite an element of risk and this is really quite distressing,” he told reporters.
“I understand that one of the individuals has a medical condition that would need ongoing care, so I share concerns of all Western Australians in terms of their welfare.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed they were assisting the family.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of two Australians reported missing in Mexico,” a spokesperson said.
“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.”
Originally published as Chilling find in search for missing Aussie brothers on surf trip in Mexico
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