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Second American To Die In The Region In A Matter Of Weeks
An American tourist tragically died while enjoying a catamaran tour with her family. The reported cause of death was cardiac arrest.
The tragic incident took place onboard a contracted catamaran that was taking the currently unnamed woman and her family between Cancun and Isla Mujeres. Preliminary information suggests that the tour was a privately contracted excursion.
According to reports, the woman notified the captain of the catamaran that she was feeling increasingly unwell and needed to return to shore. The captain responded quickly and attempted to reach the nearest dock for her to receive medical assistance, but there was not enough time. He also notified medical personnel in Isla Mujeres of the situation.
Sadly, she lost consciousness and died on board. Medical officers embarked immediately to attempt resuscitation but she was pronounced dead on the scene. Forensic officers removed her body from the ship to be transported to a medical facility for autopsy.
If the limited information is to be believed, she may have died of a heart attack. However, the results of the autopsy will provide more insight. The woman’s name and age were not released, but she was described as an elderly woman by multiple sources.
The incident happened on Monday afternoon, with the tour itself leaving Cancun at around 2 PM.
The sad incident is not the first of its kind. Just two weeks prior, another American man died while snorkeling near Playa del Carmen. In this instance, it was also assumed that he suffered a heart attack.
More tragic still was the botched attempt to retrieve his body from the ocean. An initial report of a body floating in the water was passed off as a mistake when local rescue services were unable to locate anything. The body continued to float at least ten miles before another reported sighting set the rescue services out once more, this time retrieving the man.
Stories like these are always heartbreaking, as many of those affected are enjoying family vacations together. Combined with the shock of losing a loved one unexpectedly, the families are then forced to deal with the diplomatic issues of returning the body to their home country- something that can take a sizable amount of time.
It should be noted that in this case, the safety protocols were adhered to by the Captain and he appears to have done everything in his power to save the woman. Many cases are unfairly blamed upon safety or medical personnel adding to an image of Mexico not being safe for tourists.
One case recently saw two American divers killed as they resurfaced. Another company’s boat ignored protocol and sailed through a closed-off dive space, striking both divers with the propellors, killing them instantly. Instances like these draw justifiable concern, and the government is working to increase the health and safety rules in place in the region.
As Cancun and the surrounding areas continue to grow in popularity, a strong focus needs to be on tourist safety. Many of its competitors do not have a reputation for poor safety, and even if the vast majority of establishments are conducting their business in a responsible manner the small few that cut corners can generate an image that is hard to shake and may lead to visitors making a decision to travel elsewhere.
Anyone hoping to head out on an excursion in Cancun should ensure they are fit and healthy enough to deal with any situation that may occur. Travel insurance is extremely important as accidents can happen to anyone and can help with any added costs that may arise in unfortunate situations.
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