Thursday, January 15, 2026

US tourists found dead in Ensenada; businessman killed in Cabo

Three expats have been found dead in Baja California and Baja California Sur this week.

‘A couple from San Diego, California, were found at the bottom of a well located south of Ensenada, Baja California, authorities say. They have been identified as Ian Hirschsohn and Kathy Harvey.

Hirschsohn, 78, an avid windsurfer and retired aerospace engineer, had been renting a home in El Socorrito for the past 35 years, family members said. He and Harvey, a 73-year-old retired physical therapist, had planned to spend a week south of the border.

They were last heard from on August 28 when Harvey texted her son, Robert Harvey, saying they were setting out to visit a gold mine or hit the beach. They were scheduled to return to the U.S. on August 31 and were reported missing on September 2.

The vehicle they had been traveling in was found abandoned in Ensenada, several hours north of the home they had been staying at early last week.

Robert Harvey spoke of his mother’s love for Mexico. “She was really enjoying retirement,’’ he said in an interview with CBS. “She loved walking and traveling. She had a huge bucket list of where she wanted to go.’’

Ava Setzer, Hirschsohn’s daughter, raised the alarm on Facebook on September 2 in a post that was shared in a number of different Baja-related Facebook groups. “Any information on their whereabouts, please contact me immediately,” Setzer wrote. “My dad Ian has a house in El Socorrito and is a seasoned veteran of Baja travel.” 

Setzer also posted a map with his favorite windsurfing spots in the area south of San Quintín.

Their remains were found on Thursday and foul play is suspected.

Some 1,500 kilometers south of Ensenada, the body of a 65-year-old Cabo San Lucas man was found washed up on a beach in Cabo Pulmo National Park Saturday evening. Craig Harrison, a dual South African and Canadian citizen, had gone missing on August 29. 

Harrison ran a wine import business in Canada before gaining the right to import Corona beer to western Canada. He began investing in vacation properties in Los Cabos in the 1980s before moving to Baja California Sur permanently in 1997 where he and his wife Lori worked in real estate and ran a vacation rental business. 

Police said Harrison had been stabbed in the chest before he went into the water and drowned. A backpack full of rocks was affixed to his back.

Source: NBC (en)

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