Thread: Grieving brother: Don't vacation in Mexico.....

Mexican Vacation Deaths Spark Family's Concerns
Mass. Family Lost Son During Mexican Vacation

POSTED: 11:58 am EDT April 18, 2008
UPDATED: 1:02 pm EDT April 18, 2008
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BOSTON -- Fun in the sun turned into tragedy recently when a young Woburn, Mass., man lost his life during what was supposed to be a care-free Mexican vacation, and some local families are concerned that it's happening more often than the public may realize.

The family of Nolan Webster, 22, is now on a mission to make sure what happened to him doesn't happen to other Americans.

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Nolan's brother, Ryan, said from the time they were children, he and his younger brother were inseparable.

"He was my roommate, my best friend, my little brother," Ryan Webster said.

Just days after New Year's Eve 2007, however, Nolan was tragically gone.

"I miss my brother a lot ... He was everything," Ryan said.

Nolan had just graduated from the University of Massachusetts. The trip to Cancun, Mexico with his girlfriend was a graduation gift from his parents.

Nolan's mother remembers the advice she gave him the night before he left.

"I said, 'It's not the United States. You need to be safe and stay inside the resort.' And I thought he would be safe, if he stayed inside the resort. But, that was not the case," Maureen Webster said.

No one knows why, but Nolan was found unconscious in more than 4 feet of water in the pool at his resort. Hotel guests said he was in tough shape, but alive, when they pulled him out.

But those same guests told his mother that once they got him out they realized the unthinkable.

"If you get into trouble inside a resort, there are no emergency plans in place. None," Webster said.

More than a dozen witnesses have written Webster about the day her son died. A Canadian police officer said he had "never, ever witnessed such a negligent situation".

Horrified guests described being "disgusted by the "disregard for human life" and demanded to know where the emergency personnel were.

For 30 minutes, none came. When they finally did, witnesses said, they did not do much to help.

"They covered him with a sheet and, according to many guests, he was not even dead yet," Webster said.

Nolan Webster's case was not an isolated one. The United States State Department keeps track of how many American's die in Mexico from non-natural causes and Nolan's case is just one on a long list.

"Six-hundred and sixty-nine Americans have died of non-natural causes in Mexico in the last three years," said Nolan's father, Bill.

The State Department admits that substandard care has contributed to some of the tragedies.

Nolan's dad now takes the list to vacation expositions, trying to expose the dangers that tour companies don't advertise.

To get the word out everywhere else, Maureen created a Web site called www.mexicovacationawareness.com. On it, she warns everyone who visits or is planning a trip.

"I'm not saying, 'Stay out of Mexico,' I hope people understand that," she said.

She does hope, however, that when Americans visit they will remember what happened to her son, Nolan, and will be more aware that Mexico is not like the United States.

"Their safety standards are just not our safety standards, and inside the resorts, when you have all that water and young people, accidents happen. You need some type of emergency plan in place," she said.

Nolan died, his girlfriend was napping and he was alone.

She advises travelers, if you do go to Mexico, don't go alone. Almost every death reported inside resorts happened when people were by themselves, she said.

She also advises that before you go on a trip, register with the state department on its Web site and call your health insurance provider to find out if you're covered in Mexico and if they'll pay for a medical evacuation.

Also, bring copies of insurance information with you and carry a list of U.S. consulates in Mexico. If you get into trouble for any reason, the consulate can help get you home safe.

Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Just recently I remember reading about a college guy from Colorado being robbed and shot in Mexico

I own a travel agency and have steered MANY people away from Mexico vacations. Mexico may be cheap, but American lives are priceless!

Will pass this along to my long (25+ years old) list of clients and colleagues, thank you grandmasmad!

miguelina....good work. Every college newspaper should get this article so that college kids make better decisions about where to travel for Spring Break or summer break.....avoid Mexico.