Cancun, Q.R. — Strong rip currents off a Cancun Hotel Zone beach has claimed the life of an elderly tourist. On Wednesday afternoon, a 70 year old man died by drowning while swimming.
The man, identified as Cai “N”, is reported to have been a Chinese tourist with two others at the time of the incident. According to available information, all three men were swept out to sea by strong currents, however, two were rescued. The third man was pronounced dead by paramedics.
The group of Asian tourists were at a beach near kilometer 13.5 of Kukulcán Boulevard in the city’s hotel zone at the time of the accident.
According to information by local authorities, the incident occurred Wednesday afternoon in front of the Occidental Cancun hotel when, according to their report, three men of Chinese nationality entered the sea despite warnings by hotel security personnel.
Moments after they went into the water, all three were seen being dragged out to sea, leading to the activation of emergency teams.
Members of the fire department, municipal Civil Protection and Tourist Police responded after receiving a 911 emergency call. The call detailed three swimmers at risk of drowning. By the time the units arrived, hotel lifeguards were already performing rescue operations.
According to initial reports, two of the tourists were rescued alive and treated by paramedics on site without needing to be taken to hospital.
However, the third disappeared beneath the waves, prompting an intense search operation that included the deployment of several tactical drones, boats and specialized aquatic rescue personnel.
An aerial camera used during the search located a figure floating several meters from the shore. With the location confirmed, Civil Protection rescuers re-entered the sea and recovered the body.
On Tuesday, a large mass of cold air from the U.S. began to enter the Yucatan Peninsula, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds Wednesday. The cold front was forecast to mostly affect the northern regions of the peninsula during its passing.
