An American surfer who was one of the three people found dead on a surfing vacation in Mexico was set to marry his fiancée in August.
Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, was just months away from tying the knot with Natalie Wiertz when his body, along with brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, were discovered nearly a week after they vanished from the province of Baja California.
All three bodies were found in an abandoned well overlooking the ocean, having each sustained gunshot wounds.
Rhoad’s wedding to Wiertz was slated for August 17, however she is now left mourning the death of her fiancé a week after horror struck.
The couple had booked a venue in Columbia, Ohio for their wedding in the summer, according to a Zola online wedding registry.
A photo of the couple smiling is currently displayed on the website, along with the wedding’s date and an option to RSVP.
The pair had planned to host a welcome party for family and friends the evening before the ceremony.
“In the wake of the heartbreaking loss of Carter Rhoad, Callum Robinson, and Jake Robinson, our hearts ache with grief for their families, friends, and community,” organizer Aubrey Byers wrote on GoFundMe Sunday.
“Their presence brought immeasurable joy, love, and kindness to those around them, leaving a mark on our lives.”
Wiertz, 32, last month celebrated her bachelorette party with friends in Florida.
She and the California-born surfer announced their engagement in a post on Facebook in July 2023.
Alongside the announcement, the pair 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 last week, authorities theorized that the idyllic trip turned tragic when the local bandits approached the men while they were at their beach camp at a popular surf spot known as La Bocana.
The killers didn’t even take the car they likely murdered the trio for — instead opting to set it on fire at the camp.
Police have not confirmed how the men died, but noted that shell casings were found at the campsite.
Police later arrested Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, alias El Kekas, his partner Ari Gisel García Cota, and Jesus’ brother Cristian Alejandro Garcia in connection to the men’s disappearance, but haven’t been charged with murder.
Baja California is one of Mexico’s most violent states, although tourist areas like Ensenada are considered safer.
