Another Mysterious Couple Of Deaths In Mexico

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Calgary couple dies in Mexico

UPDATED: 2008-11-26 02:26:40 MST

 

 

By KATIE SCHNEIDER, SUN MEDIA

 

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Vacationing in Mexico has turned deadly for a Calgary couple who mysteriously drowned in the ocean after taking a stroll along an Acapulco beach.

 

Kevin Suppes, 42, and his fiancee Tanya Hastings, 37, were last seen walking along a beach near a hotel before suddenly disappearing in the ocean about 2 p.m. Monday.

 

Their bodies were later found washed ashore, Acapulco police said yesterday.

 

Suppes co-owned Saskatoon-based CP Distributors with his brother, Scott, who is now trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the couple's deaths by gathering information from the hotel manager and department of Foreign Affairs.

 

"It was an accidental drowning -- all I know they were swimming in the ocean and some fisherman saw they were in trouble and tried to get to them and couldn't," he said from his home north of Saskatoon.

 

He said efforts to revive the two with CPR were unsuccessful after their bodies washed ashore.

 

"They were both great people and way too young for this to happen -- it's unbelievable," he said.

 

Among other family and numerous friends, Hastings is survived by a 20-year-old daughter in Vancouver, and Suppes leaves behind a 17-year-old son in Calgary, said Scott.

 

Scott said the two, who were originally from Saskatchewan, were spending a week in Acapulco to get away after a busy time at work and were considering moving to Surrey, B.C., to be near the ocean.

 

"He and Tanya really liked the coast and thought about transferring there," he said.

 

Their deaths have also shocked close friends like Kristene Coller, who called Tanya a fantastic cook and Suppes an avid golfer.

 

"They were very generous people, you could always count on them if you needed them," she said, fighting back tears. "Tanya always had a smile on her face, regardless of what was going on -- I'm still in shock -- I can't believe they are not with us."

 

Gerald Haller, CP Distributors vice-president of finance and administration, said Kevin was passionate on and off the job.

 

"He expected the best from people, but he always knew how to have fun," Haller said.

 

"I'll remember him as never at a loss for words and very passionate about life."

 

[LynnF]

I heard on the radio that they got caught in a Riptide.

[bigbowtrout]

After they were pushed in.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

I heard on the radio that they got caught in a Riptide.

 

Mexico authorities say it is a rip tide is a joke.

 

Rip Tide takes people out to sea. Not back to shore

 

Anyone see any nasty rip tides in Acalpoco?

[trailhead]

My Dad almost drowned there a few years ago, the rip pulled him way out tumbled him a bit too, then dumped him back on shore. Coughing and spitting up salt water.

[lonefisher]

Lets Bomb that damn beautiful country

[jksnijders]

 

Sad. I almost drowned in a riptide on the Aus. coast. Pretty scary, there was a point off to my right, and even though I swam for all I was worth I was getting nowhere. Then I realized I was actually losing "ground" and headed out farther. Somehow I finally got out of it, learned later the best thing to do is swim parallel to shore, as the rip is caused by a slope to a sort of gutter on the shoreline. They can usually be seen as a streak of cloudy or silty water heading offshore. Surfers use them to get out past the breakers. As for Mexico though, with all the reports I've heard about "mysterious" deaths, who knows.. they're a little dodgy down there it seems.

[LynnF]

I worked for someone who almost died in a riptide, but thankfully he was a lifeguard when he was younger and knew what to do to get back to shore safely. He said he was knee deep in water when he got sucked out so you don't even have to be swimming - you could just be walking in the water. But usually when there's been reports of riptides they put notices on the beaches. Who knows...all I know is that I"m leaving for Mexico (PDC - Riviera side) in under 2 months and I ain't worried one friggin' bit.

 

I feel badly for those 2 people but I wouldn't be jumping to any conclusions about their demise until something more comes out - if it does. It's unfortunate and tragic no matter what.

[reevesr1]

I was fishing a reef once in Galveston Bay with my dad. I was in my 30s, so he would have been in his 50s. We had fished this section of the bay many, many times and he had been fishing it for probably 40 yrs. There is one gut between two reefs and some days you could wade across on your tip toes (we are both 6'2") and some days you had to swim it. This was a swim it day. But the tide was running really hard and we were getting swept down. It was kinda funny at first, laughing that we couldn't swim to the reef as we were getting old. I got back to the shallower (say shoulder deep) water, dad is still swimming and yells something to me. I say "what?" and he yells again. I say "what??" again. He says "son of a bitch" and tosses his rod and reel away.

 

This shocks me. I could barely imagine a scenario where he would toss his rod and reel other than drowning. So I toss my rod and reel and start swimming out to him. Dad goes under. I see a boat and yell like a banshee. The boat and I get to him at the same time. He pops up holding his jeans. WTF? "Had to get the damn jeans off to swim" he says.

 

Anyway, pants back on we use the guys rod and reel and casted around for a bit trying to snag ours. No luck. Buddy brings us to the shore (no boat, we were just wading a shoreline you could drive to) and we walk back to the car. "What were you saying when you yelled to me?" I asked. He looks at me mildly disgusted and says "I was yelling for you to cast your mirrolure (big 3 hook lure) to me so I could hook it on to my @#$#en rod."

 

We never really talked about how scary it was all that much. But on the way home we did stop at the big sporting goods shop and he bought me a new rod and reel. I always took it as a thank you.

 

Moral of the story: Tides are nothing to screw around with. We were two pretty damn experience fishermen fishing an area we both basically grew up fishing, and it took us totally by surprise.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Very happy to hear you both made it back to talk about it.

 

I was on a beach in California once with a steep drop off to the water. It was low tide and we were playing keep away with the waves. Out of the blue a monster wave came...we scrambled up the slope and still got soaked. Had we stayed where we were the water would of been over our heads.

 

Oceans can be dangerous... no doubt.

[agbff]

Learned a few lesson when i was surfing in Halifax a few weeks ago. Paddling out is one of the hardest parts about surfing. Once your out getting back in past the breaks can be even harder. I think it all comes down to weight, Waves are way heavier then you are! Same as a car and you still see pestrians jumping off the side walk.... sorry to hear this story.

[tgo]

Everytime somebody dies in Mexico alot of people are quick to slam the authorities there, apparently accidents can't happen in Mexico it has to be the fault of some Mexican. I understand that the authorities are corrupt and often fail to follow-up with a proper investigation (by our standards). But to assume that they must have been pushed in by a Mexican is offensive. I would be willing to bet that most of the poeple who die in Mexico are either drunk, linked to drug deals or do stupid things.

[jksnijders]

Learned a few lesson when i was surfing in Halifax a few weeks ago. Paddling out is one of the hardest parts about surfing. Once your out getting back in past the breaks can be even harder. I think it all comes down to weight, Waves are way heavier then you are! Same as a car and you still see pestrians jumping off the side walk.... sorry to hear this story.

 

 

Full 7 mm wetsuit for that I bet... Ever go on the West coast?

[jksnijders]

Everytime somebody dies in Mexico alot of people are quick to slam the authorities there, apparently accidents can't happen in Mexico it has to be the fault of some Mexican. I understand that the authorities are corrupt and often fail to follow-up with a proper investigation (by our standards). But to assume that they must have been pushed in by a Mexican is offensive. I would be willing to bet that most of the poeple who die in Mexico are either drunk, linked to drug deals or do stupid things.

 

 

 

I agree for sure. But... As said "dodgy" in my post, I dove for 4 days straight in different locations around Vallarta, and some of the things I saw made me a bit leery. My girlfriend at the time, who got her open water certification in Calgary ( the theory end ) dove also for a couple days. According to her divemaster, the proper way to enter the water was to don your weight belt, etc., inflate your BCD, put it in the water, and put it on once in the water. Hmm, I said. Thats maybe ok if you're experienced, and have the sense to ditch your weights if you get in a bind, and are diving with experienced people if you don't. I was using 30 pounds weight, which to stay afloat with is pretty tough. But a class of first timers? Not to say all outfits are like that, or that its limited to Mexico. I never once felt unsafe, I've been a number of times, and travelled alone, on public transit, etc. etc. It's like anywhere, what you make of it.

[bigbowtrout]

But to assume that they must have been pushed in by a Mexican is offensive. I would be willing to bet that most of the poeple who die in Mexico are either drunk, linked to drug deals or do stupid things.

 

Who assumed it was Mexicans?????

[jksnijders]

Who assumed it was Mexicans?????

 

 

Hehe..