The parents of Callum and Jake Robinson, who were were killed during a surfing trip in Mexico, have broken their silence.
Martin and Debra Robinson broke down in tears as spoke from San Diego, California, on Tuesday (local time), where they shared their heartbreak over their son’s deaths.
The Perth brothers Callum, 33, and Jake, 30, alongside their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were killed in a bungled robbery when the killers drove by and saw their pick-up truck and tents.
They had been camping at San Miguel beach on the Mexican state of Baja California when they vanished on on April 27.
Their bodies were found in a well on a cliff nearby on Saturday after a desperate search was launched when their parents hadn’t heard from them.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Callum and Jake have been murdered,” Ms Robinson said.
“Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us.
“We also mourn the loss of Carter Road, a close friend.
“They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together.
“Now it’s time to bring … them home to family and friends – and the ocean waves in Australia. Please live bigger, shine brighter and love harder in their memory.”
She said thanked those who had offered their condolances and said they had been “overwhelmed with the outpouring of emotions and support”.
“We have always been very proud of their academic and sporting achievements and admired their life choices as,” she said.
She spoke of Callum’s “larger than life character” and his sporting achievement, playing professional lacrosse in America.
She described Jake as a “happy, gentle and compassionate soul” who was pursuing a career in medicine.
“Jake’s passion was surfing and it was no coincidence that many of his hospitals that he worked in were close to a surfing beaches.”
Their comments come after the pair visited the morgue in Ensenada, Mexico, to identify their sons’ bodies on Sunday (local time).
Mexico police allege the Perth surfers and Mr Rhoad were shot in the head by locals attempting to steal the tyres from their pick-up truck.
Mexican authorities have arrested three people – Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, Ari Gisel García Cota and Cristian Alejandro García – who were all allegedly found in possession of drugs.
The three bodies were reportedly hidden in a well covered with boards near their campsite.