Mexico is proving a deadly vacation spot for Canadians
Posted: January 29, 2008, 1:28 PM by John Turley-Ewart
Twenty years ago the only warning Canadians heard before travelling to
Mexico was “beware of Montezuma’s Revenge,” a colloquial reference
to the unhappy consequences of eating food that isn’t properly washed.
Today, Canadians travelling to Mexico appear to need instructions on
how to navigate hotel balconies.
In less than a year, three Canadians have apparently fallen to their
deaths from hotel balconies in Mexico. The latest Canadian tourist to
die in Mexico is Josh Iwasiuk, a 19-year-old from Selkirk, Man. who
according to Mexican officials fell to his death on the weekend from
the 10th floor balcony at the Puerto Vallarta resort where he and his
brother were vacationing.
Mr. Iwasiuk’s death follows the November, 2007, death of an Alberta
man, Christopher Morin, who died at a Cancun resort having, said
Mexican officials, fallen from a fourth floor balcony.
In May, 2007, another Alberta man, Jeff Toews, lost his life at a Cancun
resort where he too apparently fell to his death from his balcony.
In the case of the most recent incident involving Mr. Iwasiuk, Mexican officials say he somehow fell over a chest-high balcony......... railing 10 storeys up but only sustained blunt force trauma to the
back of his head. While I am not a CSI expert, a 10 storey fall typically
generates broken bones and multiple fractures.
Local police and Mr. Morin’s family members suspected he was pushed
off the balcony he fell from in November, while the family of Mr. Toews
have reason to believe that he died of a beating rather than a balconey fall.
In addition to these deaths are two more disturbing incidents.
In January, 2007, an Ontario man, Adam DePrisco, died under suspicious
circumstances in the Mexican resort town of Acapulco, where officials said
he was the victim of a hit and run, despite the man’s family having
established reason to believe he had been beaten by security at a night club.
And there is the still unsolved murder case of Domenic and Nancy Ianiero
who were killed in their hotel near Cancun in February, 2006.
Mexican officials responded to their murder by first accusing two innocent
Canadian women from North Bay, Ont. vacationing at the same hotel, despite
having no evidence whatsoever. And later absurdly suggested the death of the
Ianieros was mafia related, because the elderly couple were Canadians of
Italian decent.
Six Canadian tourists have died in Mexico in less than two years.
In each incident Mexican officials have been quick to blame tourists
themselves, dismissing evidence to the contrary and downplaying the
possibility that Canadian tourists were targeted by criminals in Mexico.
Canadians should respond by calling on our government to use all diplomatic
channels to ensure full investigations are pursued in each of these deaths.
In the meantime, Canadians will find hotel balconies in Orlando and
West Palm much safer places to enjoy the sun and sea air.
MORE SHITTwo More Canadians Shot In Mexico
Sunday February 4, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff
A chain of troubling incidents involving Canadians in Mexico had a new link Sunday,
after reports two more Ontario residents were shot in an Acapulco hotel Saturday
night.
The pair - a man and a woman identified as 55-year-old Rita Calara and 73-year-old
Yoyo Manela - was at the Casa Inn Hotel (pictured) when a gunman reportedly
fired into the lobby. They were originally reported to be from Woodbridge but it
now seems they actually came from Niagara Falls and Welland.
They apparently weren't travelling together, but were both in the wrong place at
the wrong time. Both victims were shot in the leg and their injuries were non-life
threatening, which is good news considering a recent string of tragedies befalling
Canadians vacationing in Mexico.
