Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Iowa Family Take Trip To Mexico, What Happened There Shocked A Community
An Iowa family rented a condo in Mexico, and the tragic result has shocked an entire community.
Here’s another reason to build a wall and stay North of the border.
The family of four was from Creston, Iowa. Kevin Sharp, 41, took his wife and two children
— a boy and a girl — on what was supposed to be a fun vacation. They rented a condo
at a small coastal resort on the Yucatan Peninsula.
It’s not uncommon for Americans to travel to Mexico. The country boasts plenty of seaside
resorts and hotels. Like many countries, it craves tourism and does whatever it takes
to attract guests. But perhaps you’ll think twice about heading down South this summer.
After a week, relatives of the family grew concerned. They had not heard from Kevin,
nor the rest of his family. In this day and age, that’s pretty odd. Most people post
messages on social media on a regular basis. Surely the Sharp’s should have been sharing
photos of their exciting trip each day, but a week had gone by and there was nothing.
Things grew more troubling when they never returned home. Family members were expecting
them to arrive at the St. Louis airport. They never did.
Concerned relatives notified the local Creston police who had no other option but to reached
out to the U.S. State Department. The Feds were able to send word to Mexico, in the hopes
of contacting the family. Someone reached the condo to perform a welfare
check. There, they found the Sharp family. All four were dead — had been dead for at
least 36-48 hours. What was the horrific cause of this family’s demise? An unreported gas
leak in the condo.
An Iowa family of four found dead at their vacation condominium in a Mexican seaside
resort suffocated from gas, according to autopsies, local authorities said on Saturday.
There were no signs of foul play or suicide, Quintana Roo state prosecutors said in a statement.
Civil protection experts examined the condo’s gas installations and would issue their findings
later, the statement said.
The bodies of Kevin Sharp, 41, his 38-year-old wife, Amy, and their children Sterling, 12,
and Adrianna, 7, of Creston, Iowa, were discovered early on Friday by authorities in the small
coastal resort on Akumal on the Yucatan Peninsula, about an hour from Cancun. [Source: Reuters]
It’s shocking — and completely unacceptable — to think that a family should die while
on a vacation. A time of happiness and fun was turned into tragedy. Why? Because of a
crime? A home invasion? Terrorism? No, negligence. The people who manage that property were too
incompetent to maintain it. Nobody checked for gas leaks between rentals. Nobody ensured
the condo was safe for people to stay.
Imagine the horror the Sharp’s relatives are now going through. Their family went down
to Mexico, excited for a relaxing week off. The parents probably worked extra hard to
afford the trip. It might have been the family’s first trip in a long time. They were hoping
to swim and dine on fancy cuisine. Instead, an entirely preventable problem took them
from this earth.
Numerous people come back from Mexico with horror stories. Americans who stay at expensive,
high-class resorts experience outrageous afflictions. Many get food poisoning or other illnesses.
Some are the victims of robbery or other crimes. This happens on an almost regular basis.
This isn’t even the first time people have died due to gas-related problems.
In November 2010, the explosion of an improperly installed gas line at a hotel in the nearby
town of Playa del Carmen killed five Canadian tourists and two Mexicans. [Source: Fox News]
Investigators are still trying to get to the bottom of this tragedy. Families shouldn’t
have to worry that they’ll die while on vacation. But will anyone be held accountable?
With the company responsible for the condo face charges? That’s yet to be determined.
At least the local community of Creston have not forgotten the Sharps.
A candlelight vigil was held in the family’s memory Saturday night at Adams County Speedway
in Corning, where Kevin was a popular race car driver. More than 300 people attended
Saturday’s vigil.
A candlelight vigil is also planned for 7 p.m. Sunday in Creston at VFW Field on Highway
34. [Source: Creston News] That was a touching and appropriate tribute
to a family this community lost. This event is a reminder that not everywhere you go is
safe. That’s especially true when you travel overseas. But should we fear the worst just
by crossing the border? Sadly, we should.
Thank you for watching this video.What do you think about this? Share this on Facebook
and Twitter along with your comments.