Callum Robinson, a star lacrosse player for Stevenson University and in the Premier Lacrosse League, was found dead along with two others in Mexico, authorities said.
Robinson, a native of Australia, his brother Jake and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad went missing last weekend on a camping and surfing trip on Mexico’s Baja California coast. They did not show up at their planned accommodations over the weekend.
Three bodies were recovered Friday during a search for the men, Mexican authorities said.
The state prosecutor’s office announced that three people who were being questioned in the case of the missing men had been arrested and charged.
“Three bodies were found south of the city of Ensenada, and they were recovered in coordination with other authorities during a specialized operation because they were found in a zone of difficult access,” the office said in a statement.
The site where the bodies were discovered near the township of Santo Tomás was near the remote seaside area where the missing men’s tents and truck were found Thursday on a remote stretch of coast.
Callum and Jake Robinson’s parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, told an Australian TV station they were headed to Mexico. The TV station reported that Jake traveled from Australia to join Callum for a “trip of a lifetime” that included attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California before heading to Mexico to surf. Callum’s 33rd birthday was Wednesday.
“Callum and Jake are beautiful human beings. We love them so much and this breaks our heart,” the Robinsons said.
Callum Robinson graduated from Stevenson in 2015 after starring for four years on defense.
A native of Perth in Western Australia, Robinson graduated from Sacred Heart College in Perth in 2008, winning an engineering scholarship, according to the Stevenson University athletic department.
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Robinson played club lacrosse in Australia and was recruited to join Stevenson’s team in 2012. In his first season playing for Stevenson, Callum helped the Mustangs win the NCAA Division III title. He led the team with 35 caused turnovers and scored three goals and two assists from his defensive position.
In his senior season in 2015, Robinson was the Middle Atlantic Conference’s Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was named to the all-conference team, among other honors. He led the conference in caused turnovers.
Stevenson coach Paul Cantabene described Robinson as “big, fast, rigid and flat-out just good” on the field and a loyal friend off the field.
Robinson returned to Stevenson last fall to be inducted into a hall of fame along with his 2013 national championship-winning teammates.
“Callum was proud of his teammates, his university and his time as a Stevenson Mustang, and, of course, we were proud of him,” Stevenson athletic director Brett Adams said in a statement.
“Callum was a very talented individual — bright, athletic, and motivated to succeed in all his endeavors,” Ellen Roskes, dean of Stevenson’s Fine School of the Sciences, said in a statement. “He was also a very caring, compassionate individual. Upon his graduation, Callum gave me a boomerang, which has been hanging in my office at Stevenson ever since.”
After Stevenson, Robinson was drafted by the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse, now known as the Premier Lacrosse League, with the 27th overall pick.
In his pro lacrosse career, Robinson played for the Bayhawks, Atlanta Blaze and the Atlas Lacrosse Club. He also coached with PLL Play, the youth arm of the lacrosse league.
“Callum brought an incredible spirit and huge heart to the game — energizing both teammates and opponents, audiences, and every member of our company,” Premier Lacrosse League co-founders Paul and Mike Rabil said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story has been updated to reflect that Robinson played for the Atlas Lacrosse Club.
