Below are stories received by MVA.
To protect the privacy of the individuals that submitted these
stories, MVA has removed their last names.
Name: Ivonne
I just want to start off by saying... what you guys have managed to do for Nolan's legacy is amazing. I knew Nolan... went to school with him and I know that what you guys have done he would of respected and loved so much.
The reason for my e-mail is to report something that happened to a friend.
It happened this year around Spring Break. It was senior year... we were all getting ready to graduate. My friend from told me in advance she was going to Cancun for Spring Break and I was already hesitant. Then she informed me she was staying at the Oasis Resort and I nearly lost it. I begged her not to go, pleaded with her and showed her this website and explained Nolan's story... how Nolan was taken so young.
She told me she would be careful. Nothing would happen to her or anyone she was going with because they would be at a resort. I reminded her just because you are in a resort, doesn't mean you are safe. She asked me to go along with her. I choose not to go with her because of everything that has happened and that I believe the conditions in Mexico for tourist can improve immensely.
The day before she left I reminded her about Nolan. Don't drink anything that has not been open by you yourself... be careful for the bartenders and etc. When she got back from Cancun she seemed different. I asked her how it was and I was glad she was okay. At that moment she broke down in tears. She relayed what had happened right in the resort three days into their stay.
She said they had an amazing time and just kicking back and relaxing and doing what regular kids did on spring break. On the third night, they met up with other students they knew who were also at Cancun but at a different resort. At the end of the night all the girls decided to go back to the resort except for one, who decided to stay with their friends and get dropped off later. Later on in the night, Michelle* was dropped off at the resort and was making her way up to the room. Michelle* told me she thought she was safe because she was at the hotel. Little did anyone know that you had to worry about the hotel workers.
She was raped making her way to her room by one of the hotel workers. No one heard her scream... no one came to her rescue. After this whole ordeal, she returned back to her room when one of the girls saw her and proceeded to ask her questions. It finally came out that she was raped on the resort grounds by an employee. They immediately informed the Resort authorities and instead of an investigation. She was questioned but nothing came out of it. They were moved to another hotel. No justice has been handed down to this man who violated her. I know you would much rather heard it from her. But she has suppressed it and refuses to even talk about it, like it never happened. I just want you to know that Oasis Resort is still letting things like this happen.
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Name: Rebecca
hello and first let me say how sorry I am for your loss, reading the story about your son makes me feel ever so glad that I am still alive to share my story. my name is Rebecca and I am an almost 40 year old wife and mother. may of 2007 I traveled to cancun with my niece on a trip she had won in a contest for renewing the lease on her apartment at college. on our 3rd night there I was brutally raped, beaten and left for dead by a security guard. but I lived and have spent the last year trying to search out other victims of violent crime in Mexico. I am working on a website for victims of rape and / or violent crime while in Mexico and would like to speak with you more about this. please email me and I will share more of my story with you for your sight and would love to share some of your stuff on mine. the more people who hear about this the better, because the travel people are never going to warn you about what really goes on south of the border. thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Name: Darcy
I was in Mexico and I was in my hotel and drugged and raped not just by one person but 2. I am appalled at the way that the Mexican police and hotel that I stayed at treated me. Unbelievable that is all I can say I am appalled that we go there thinking it is a safe place when in fact it is not. Murder and people dieing when they don't have to because people are not trained in CPR just kills me! I am so sadden by the stories that I have read my heart goes out to you and your family. My biggest regret is that this trip was about my son. Him and I where supposed to reconnect. He has the memory of his mother being raped I am 41 this happened in March of 2007 in the hotel in which I stayed the RUI Caribe. Nice huh. Please know my thoughts and prayers are with your family and that I appreciate this web site good for you for letting people know about what can happen there it is truly a third world country!
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Name: Justin
I went to Mexico, and stayed at the same resort. I can't even remember what year I went, because it was that bad. it wasn't even a vacation. I got treated poorly by everyone I encountered in that terrible country! From staff at the Oasis, to cab drivers, and everyone else. The day I got there is the day I wanted to leave. I came back 10 plbs lighter, looking terrible, and people where wondering what was wrong. What was wrong, is that is a horrible place to go. DO NOT GO THERE! you are putting your life at risk. To Nolan, Live In The Sky, everybody misses you. To the Websters, I am Deeply sorry for your loss. May time Heal!
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Name: janet
Relative fell from 4 story bldg in Cancun Mexico about 2 weeks ago and need info on his condition, prognosis...Family needs $30,000 to get him out of there via medical transport and can't get any info..pls help..thanks
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Name: Pierce
My wife and I left Baja after 8 years of running both a bar and grill and a real estate and development business in Mulege north of Loreto , BCS. While we had gotten used to the bribes required of all levels of government,We will ill prepared for the attempt at jailing us because of a conflict with another realtor in Mulege( a mexican national). We got out just in time as phoney charges and BS just about had me spending 2 years in jail awaiting charges which would never come to fruition. I was informed by a cop I knew that I would was to be killed in jail awaiting trial . We are back in the USA and have left all land and property which has had every level of government employee trying to gain ownership by any means possible.
Please do not retire in Mexico,visit Mexico, or invest in Mexico. The vast majority of people there think that all americans are to be fleeced and that any land they sell will come back to them someday. We will never return and are willing to give up what is ours just to be safe.
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Name: Darlene
My name is Darlene and I just lost my soul and heart in Mexico.
My husband Ron fell off a two story
balgony. I would like to tell my story but not sure how to
submit it to you.
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Name: Vickie
My dad passed away april 26, 2008. He was with my step mom and their best friends vacationing in cancun. They had arrived the day before.
He fell from a second story balcony that was only 36 inches tall. My 3 year old niece who will never see her papa again is 36 in tall. Apparently that is standard in Mexico. There is nothing we can do about it. After the accident my step mom and the couple that went with them were not able to get a flight until the following week. They were treated like royalty the entire time they were there. I was very suprised to hear how good everyone was to them! While they were there one of the employees came to their room to check on them and told them that his toddler son had died not long ago from falling off the balcony. A toddler, is that not a big enough sign that maybe the rails need to be higher?! This tragedy could have easily been prevented!
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Name: Ken
I was arrested in Cancun Mexico at 11AM in the Cartier Store for
not paying a bribe. I had purchased about 4k at the store and a
'guarda' demanded 200$, I said no. I was detained and thrown
into a truck by the Policia Qintana Roo to the horror of the
Cartier Store staff, one of whom called the Canadian Embassy. I
was beaten with various metal object for 6 hours while never
having been told anything. I was then told '1800 por preedom' i
gave them all I had, 1600USD and they let me go. They later
followed me back to my hotel(Hyatt Caribe Cancun) and tried to
get more money - or worse. I did receive some help from the
Canadian Consulate and from the Cartier Store. I need facial
reconstructive surgery to repair damage from being struck by a
gun. You think the Mexican justice system is 'just'? I thank G-d
I escaped alive. Do NOT go to Mexico, just dont.
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Name: Paul
10 years ago i was mugged, drugged, and held hostage
for 5 hours in a cab while on business in Mexico City. That
country is a dump.
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Name: alex
as a former longtime resident of san diego californa i have visited baja and mainland mexico on hundreds of times. i have many good mexican friends who live in tijuana and other parts of the country. years ago,when i first met my mexican friends and started visiting the country on a regular basis i mentioned that one of my american friends and i had come to tijuana just the two of us to drink and have fun. they became visibly upset and told us that we had no idea of the danger we had exposed ourselves to. we could very easily have been beaten robbed kidnapped or killed. we were shocked it seemed safe to us. i thought they were overly concerned. on subequent trips without my local friends as guides, i fell asleep on a resort beach and was awoken by men who beat and robbed me, leaving me pouring blood from my head, they even took my shoes.once, i was sitting in a bar and had the police walk in demanding to seach me, they "found" a large bag of powder drugs in my pocket(i dont use drugs)enough to keep me in a mexican jail for decades, they demanded a bribe, being nice enough to drive me to the atm when my meager pocket money didnt satisfy.mostly they don’t even bother to plant anything they just take your money from your wallet after search. my mexican friends tell me that the extortion/bribe from the police is $20 usd from a local mexican and $60-$100 usd for a tourist or american. i love the country and have had some great times there, but it is EXTREMLY DANGEROUS. i would tell people that if the local people don’t feel safe in their own city then you are definitly very much at risk. it is not a place for a relaxing vacation.if you must go dress in beat up work clothes and dont carry much cash make sure small bills.never be alone at any time.dont get drunk and be aware of everything surrounding you always and trust no one.
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Name: Chris
ive been to cancun twice and i saw the exact same thing happen. me and my friends were walking the beach after leaving the clubs and saw a group of people standing around someone on the ground. story was, a kid was in the ocean and went under. a us marine that was there vacationing, pulled the kid out of the water and starting giving him cpr. while he was doing that the federales showed up and put their guns to the marine and told him to stop giving cpr and let the kid die. i couldnt sleep all week after seeing that. the way that country is run is terrifying. down there if you have health insurance, you wear a bracelett that shows it, if you dont have that bracelett on, they just assume watch you die. we all made sure those braceletts never came off when we were there. i will never go to mexico again.
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Name: Deborah
I went on an "educational tour" to Mexico in July, 2001. There were maybe 20 young teenagers and 7 or 8 adults. We traveled from Mexico City to Cancun in ten days. A lot of it was shady and uncomfortable, but we stayed with the group and were relatively safe.
We all moaned and groaned when we were told that our flight left at something like 5:30AM out of Cancun - We all had to be up and dressed by 4 AM. Fortunately for us, we made it. The day after we returned I read a very small newspaper article that later that same day, two people had died on the very runway we took off from - their plane had malfunctioined, and the passengers were not allowed to leave the plane. Two people died of heat stroke in the plane on the tarmac. I will never go back to Mexico.
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Name: Flo
Have you thought about encouraging Primetime, 20/20, or one of those type shows to consider doing an investigative piece on this issue in order to raise awareness. I have traveled to Mexico and other vacation resorts in other countries on many occasions and you're absolutely correct the way things are handled are not at all what we are accustomed to in the U.S.
Years ago while on vacation in Hualtulco, Mexico there was a fire in the hotel in which we were staying. We all stood outside anxiously awaiting the arrival of the fire department and were shocked to see that their fire department amounted to a mini van with a few guys inside with what amounted to water backpacks (like "super soaker toys") on their backs. There were no firetrucks, large equiptment, fire hoses,etc. like we have here. I'm sure there are countless stories and the American people should be more aware and educated about such risks when considering travel to Mexico and other areas.
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Name: Joanne
My heart goes out to you and your family. I just returned from the Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancun, told my coworker of my ordeal and she told me about Nolan. I have just left horrible reviews on several websites about the hotel. My friend was very sick and they left her laying on the cold lobby floor for over an hour - no one would help her at all.
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Name: joe
i too use to travel to cancun for fun as a young man in the early 1990's. it has always been a lawless and unsafe place for anyone who has some bad luck and bad timing. they will not lift a finger to help. i have witnessed dead bodies being carried away on stretcher during drinking parties and the body lay in wait for hours and hours with a napkin over the face until the party eneded. The oasis is well known and popular with young teenagers. it is a risk , a very big risk.
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Name: Joren
People need to be more aware that the police extort visitors (and locals). In Cancun in 1995 I was walking home from a bar with a Mexican friend and the police pulled us over, frisked us, and told us to get in the car. They then drove around the more rural areas of Cancun and accused us of being gay and demanded hundreds of dollars. If we complied there would be no problem. They could have shot us and left us for dead and no one would have known. I eventually gave them most of the cash I had ($40 US) and they let us go. I will NEVER go back to Mexico and in the years since, realize just how lucky I was.
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Name: Kim
Hi, I just wanted to say that I was there at the Oasis Hotel in Cancun when Nolan's tragic death happened. What happened haunted me for weeks and I think it could have been avoided, after reading his parents' story. I was walking nearby the pool right after the incident but didn't really see anything except for all the people surrounding him at the time. my boyfriend went over to see if they needed help and when he came back he just told me to keep walking without looking. They didn't seem like they needed help I guess and he said the guy looked really bad. Anyway, we walked by that pool again a few hours later and yes the body was still there. And it was laid down on a plastic beach chair with a white sheet over it, not even covering the whole body. I panicked. I don't get why they would leave him there for all to see. That was HIGHLY disrespectuf to him, his girlfriend and family but also to the other hotel guests. The hotel didn't even bother closing down the pool out of safety and respect the day after. I simply want to send all my sympathy and empathy also to his family.
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Name: Sandi
Wish I had a website like this in 2005/2006. Perhaps you should have everyone post their stories. This is an email that I sent to ALL my friends alerting them about our mishap in Cancun 2005/2006.
We just got back from Cancun and yes the hotel, Riu Palace Las Americas, was beautiful (we would definitely recommend this hotel and would stay at another RIU hotel elsewhere). The weather was fabulous BUT the only thing that was lousy were the corrupt cops. Anthony, was leaving a nightclub one night and was hailing a cab (right outside the club). Instead a police cruiser pulled over and ordered him into the cruiser. They went through his pockets and robbed him of his money. They only got $20.00 (but this really shook all of us up.) They asked him where he was staying and dropped him off a block away. I thought that this kind of thing only happened in the movies, i.e. Traffic. We were all shocked. Thank god he’s okay. I kept thinking, what if Cassie was with him, what would they do then? She was really tired and declined to go out that night. It seems that they can do whatever they want to whomever. After talking to other vacationers in Cancun and doing a lot of research on the net, police corruption is an everyday occurrence and it's a wide scale problem along the "Mexican Riviera " especially if you rent a car. The police will pull you over and demand you pay a so-called fine or put you in jail. I wish I had known this a head of time before making my decision to vacation there. I’m just getting the word out to my friends and family so that you can make an educated decision as to whether or not you want to vacation there in the future.
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Name: Sybil
We too had a similiar situation when my husband has hit in the chest by a Wave Runner at Club Cascadas in Carbo San Lucas, Mexico. The restort did nothing and my husband almost died on the beach. He had fractured a number of ribs and was in shock. A medical student on the beach was the only help we got. After 30 minutes and no help arriving, I ran up to the resort office screaming at them in an attempt to find out why help had not arrived. Finally a ex-police chief told me of a good doctor to call. The doctor drove to the resort, loaded my husband in his Volkswagon bug and drove him to his office. That was a wakeup call for us. I can't believe there are actually people from the U.S. that want to retire in Mexico.
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Name: Susan
I felt it was my obligation to contact you after I saw Nolan's story last night on Fox 25 News Boston. I stayed at that very hotel a few years back and believe I had a close call with potential tragedy. I was injured at their facility but luckily was not in a life threatening situation. I suffered a sprained ankle after falling off a step in one of the bars that was not properly marked like the other areas in the hotel with simailar construction. My travel friend was the only helpful person there. She demanded they find me crutches, an ace bandage and get me to an elevator because I could not walk and we were on the second floor. They told us they didn't have one and promptly put me in a wheelchair and carried me IN the wheelchair UP to my room. It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen. My friend and I took pictures of the step where I fell and the other identical steps that were marked with bright paint. No one ever checked on us and when she asked about a Doctor, they said it was 100.00 just to see an American Doctor. I felt the need to share my story with someone. I am not sure if this is the right place to do so but I felt the need to share this story.
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Name: Cathy
My girlfriend and I went to Cancun for her
50th birthday last year. We stayed at the Royal Islander,
which was right next to the Oasis. We sat at the pool bar on Tuesday, and
ordered a drink, neither my girlfriend nor I remember getting out of
the pool or how we got to our room. (This was after having one drink, and
we're 50, not in our 20's). I woke up several hours later in my room. Thank the
good Lord. My hands were tingling and I vomited all night, I was unable to
function until 2 in the afternoon and went down to report it to the manager,
which he said happens all the time. But to this day I don't know what
happened or if we were drugged. But I thank God that we are here to talk about
it.
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Name: Nicole
I saw Nolan's mother and girlfriend on Fox 25 this morning
and it was heartbreaking... I myself went to Cancun in April of 01' and had an awful time. I was horribly sick and a doctor came after 4 hours and told me that I was fine when in reality I had a severe case of strep and also could not talk fo 31/2 weeks! Plus he charged me $200 USD to be there. Also our hotel rooms were robbed of everything. To top it all off one of my classmates that was there with us got dragged into a back room at a club and was repeatedly raped and beaten. I was terrifed and so were my parents. We were going to sue the hotel and instead they gave us a few free nights hotel stay. My parents were scared for my life down there. I think that cases like this should be shown to kids in school and also to their parents about what can really happen down there. My prayers go out to all of the victim's families on this site.
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Name: chris
On March 3, 2007 my mother was on vacation with my dad. My mom was a 12 year cancer survivor who was very thin and frail, not leading the best quality of life, but she loved to live. She took the vacation through apple, and stayed right outside cancun. On march 5, i received a phone call from my dad that i needed to wire 2 thousand dollars to him immediately. my mom was experiencing chest pain and they refused to treat without money. i did this, and they still asked for more money once they realized more testing was needed. I was told she had pneumonia and would be fine. i woke up the morning of march 6 to a phone call instructing me to come home from school right away. I knew she was dead. because the asked for money at every turn, they failed to realize she had a PE and it killed her early on the morning of March 6th. I will never leave this country. apple vacations was helpful, but nobody else was. ambulances, forget it, they wanted money too. I'm sorry about your son, and i know it's a senseless death. it hurts that legally, we have no options.thanks for making this a prominent issue
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Name: Cathy
My girlfriend and I went to Cancun for her 50th birthday last year. We stayed at the Royal Islander, which was right next to the Oasis. We sat at the pool bar on Tuesday, and ordered a drink, neither my girlfriend nor I remember getting out of the pool or how we got to our room. (This was after having one drink, and we're 50, not in our 20's). I woke up several hours later in my room. Thank the good Lord. My hands were tingling and I vomited all night, I was unable to function until 2 in the afternoon and went down to report it to the manager, which he said happens all the time. But to this day I don't know what happened or if we were drugged. But I thank God that we are here to talk about it.
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Name: Joan
My younger brother; in 1987 was also found dead in a fountain at his hotel in Cancun, Mexico. He was 26 years old. My heart goes out to all of these people and memories of flood my heart and mind when I think of that year and the 4 years that I investigated his death that followed.
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Name: Jim
About 15 years ago, my girlfriend and I went to Cancun for a
vacation. She got food poisoning from eating seafood. She was
very, very sick. It took the hotel staff several hours to locate
a doctor and at that she was only a nurse. The nurse(doctor) was
several hotels away. By the time my girlfriend got treated, 8
hours had lapsed. We spent the remaining 4 days of our 7 day
vacation in the hotel room. For an area that probably depends on
tourism for income, they don't seem to care very much for the
tourists. I'll NEVER go to Mexico again.
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Name: alyssa
I saw your story on the news this evening and it sounded so
familiar. In spring 1992 a group of us went to Cancun on spring
break and stayed at the Hyatt Hotel. One afternoon a young man
who we all befriended while there, jumped off the edge of the
pool and hit his head. It was a couple of minutes before anyone
realized what had happened, but as soon as we saw him floating,
everyone started screaming. Nobody from the hotel did a thing.
The bartender in the pool bar continued to serve drinks. We had
to run to get some help. Some kids pulled him out of the pool
and he was so swollen and blue. One of the girls that was a
lifeguard back home started CPR on him, but still no one from
the hotel even came over until a good 15 minutes had past. Mind
you we were all 17 and 18 at the time. It wasnt until 45
minutes passed when an "ambulance" arrived. They did not have a
stretcher so they actually picked him up onto a lounge chair and
used belts to strap him down. So me friends of his went to the
hospital with him and the next day told us the disgusting place
it was. They stated there was an actual drain in the room he
was in, like a drain you would see in the shower. The doctors
told the friends he had a concussion, but he would be ok. From
what I remember, they flew him to Texas 2 days later and he died
within a day. He had severe brain damage and brain swelling that
was caused by not so much the accident itself, but the
inaction. It was a horrifying scene to see and has stayed with
me all these years. Your story is heartbreaking and my thoughts
go out to your family. My group was from Melrose, MA if I
remember correctly the boy was from Milton, MA. I dont remember
his name, but the story just sounded so familiar. Continue your
work in memory of your son, there is no reason for people to
vacation in Mexico, it is a different world and not one where
safety is a priority. Your family is in my thougts.
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Name: AP
Please let your readers know that not only can you not trust
mexican authorities you can not trust american hotel personnel.
my son was in Acapulco over spring break when a fire broke out
in his hotel.
Thankfully for us he had not arrived yet, but when I called the best western , mexico connection office, I was told that all students had been relocated to other hotels. I found out later when my son returned that no had been relocated, cots were set up everywhere for displaced students, my son was able to get into his room because he was fortunate enough to have booked his trip through an agent who does lots of business in mexico. however when he entered his room the door was off the hinges and not able to be locked.
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Name: Renee
Hi, This is a very interesting site. I've been going to the Puerto Vallarta area for about 20 years now, and bought an apartment in Bucerias in 2001. Anyways, about 10 years ago, I went to PV for a week and was walking on the beach one day. Even though it was in the summer, there were a fair number of people on the beach and in the beach restaurants. All of a sudden a man was walking next to me, matching my steps. (I grew up in sort of an inner-city area of Chicago, so this was a big red flag.) All of a sudden, he pivoted around so that he was facing me and walking backwards. He said "I know you!" and I said "I don't think so." Then he told me that he was my taxi driver from the airport to my hotel. I told him that I remembered my driver and that it wasn't him and I told him to get lost. All I could think of was that he was going to offer me a private tour of the city which would include a trip to his house where a bunch of his friends would be waiting.
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Name: anne
my friend is frantic & i'm writing on her behalf..her son called her on 3/14th from acapulco, said he was beaten badly, asked her to cancell cr cards etc...meanwhile she never heard back from him, which is extremely weird, in addition her mother died and she's holding off on the funeral..do you have any information that would be helpful to her.jails in acapolco, investigators..etc..that i could give to her or her daughter. thank you for your website and many blessings to you....anne
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Name: Melody
Our son, Lovell Keith Adams Jr, better know as "JR" was killed on March 18, 2005 at the age of 17 while vacationing in a resort area between Cancun Mexico and Playa Del Carmen. He was struck and killed instantly by a speeding car with no car lights on while trying to cross a dark busy highway with family and friends. The coward who brutally killed JR got out of his car and ran! Supposedly, he turned himself in the next day and was released SCOTT FREE with not even a slap on the wrist. What he did receive was a pat on the back by the Playa Del Carmen Police Dept. [for being such an upstanding citizen?] and in their official statement the police declared that he had done nothing wrong! Commander Perez actually had the audacity to commend the person that murdered JR saying this sort of killing happens often and usually the killer doesn't turn themselves in. In the conclusion of his report, Commander Perez declared that JR was the cause of his own death. We found out very quickly that Hit and Run incidents are not illegal in Mexico. According to the Mexican government, it is simply OK to kill people, even unsuspecting tourists as they cross a street [or sun bath on a beach). Never mind that speeding cars shouldn't be on a beach in the first place...to the Mexican government, that's OK!
The bribery and
corruption there is OUT OF CONTROL! We are asking anyone who is
planning on going to Mexico for vacation or for any reason to
please do your research before going or contact JR's parents to
get first hand information on the nightmare we went through just
trying to get our precious son's body home.
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