Debra and Martin Robinson have urged people to hold their loved ones closer,following the tragic murder of their sons Callum,33,and Jake,30.
The Robinson brothers were on a surfing trip with American friend Carter Rhoad,30,when they were allegedly killed by Mexican nationals attempting to steal parts of their ute.
The parents of Jake and Callum Robinson share their heartache for the first time.
Debra and Martin Robinson travelled from Western Australia to Mexico on Friday,where they identified the bodies of their two sons this week.
“Now it’s time to bring them home to families and friends and the ocean waves in Australia,” Debra said.
“Please live bigger,shine brighter and love harder.”
Debra and Martin Robinson’s sons,Jake and Callum,were murdered in Mexico.Nine News
Speaking from Callum’s home city in San Diego,Debra and Martin thanked authorities for the work they had done and for the outpouring of support they had received from family and friends.
Debra said it was with heavy hearts that they shared the news Callum and Jake had been murdered.
“Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us,” she said.
Debra paid tribute to Rhoad,a close friend of the brothers who had travelled with them from the United States.
A missing persons poster for Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and American Jack Rhoad.Supplied
“They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together,” she said.
A young doctor,Jake had travelled to North America to meet Callum for a two-week holiday. The brothers had attended Coachella music festival in the United States before their surfing trip in Baja California.
Debra said they had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support they had received from people in the US and Australia.
“We know that they were truly loved and impacted many people’s lives,” she said.
A professional lacrosse player,Callum had lived in California for several years pursuing his sporting career.
Jake was due to start a position at a hospital in Geelong on his return to Australia.
Debra said Callum,nicknamed Big Koala,was a “larger-than-life character” who always found time to coach junior lacrosse teams,even while representing Australia. She said Jake was a “gentle and compassionate soul”.
More than 100 people gathered for a vigil in San Diego this week. In Mexico,members of the surfing community took to the streets,demanding more be done to keep them safe,in solidarity with the brothers.
over the Perth brothers and Rhoad’s deaths. One of the men was charged on Saturday with the equivalent of kidnapping. The investigation in Mexico is ongoing.
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