Brits feared a Tunisia-style terror attack on Mexico Beach after lifeguard was shot in front of families on Thomas Cook holiday
HOLIDAYING Brits feared a Tunisia-style terror attack as they fled a Mexican beach when a lifeguard was shot in front of families during a Thomas Cook holiday.
Chaos erupted on Monday after a beach vendor opened fire on a lifeguard near Mexico's Grand Bahia Principe Hotel on Monday.
According , a lifeguard was shot in the leg after a disagreement with a street vendor selling jewellery along the beach front in Tulum.
The resort is located on the Yucatán Peninsula, which the Sun Online revealed yesterday has had more than 700 murders in just one year.
Becky Dullaway, 50, was on a family holiday with her husband, two daughters and five grandchildren when she heard gunshots and feared a Tunisia-style terror attack.
"I heard this loud bang and knew straight away it was something terrible, I knew it was a gunshot," she told the Sun Online.
"I screamed at the children to get out of the pool and my daughter fall over, cutting her leg open.
"I was terrified it was a terror attack and all I could think about was what happened in Tunisia."
The support worker from Hastings, who was on a break booked through Thomas Cook, told how it was "fairly quiet" when chaos erupted at around 10am.
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE TUNISIA TERROR ATTACK?
- On June 26, 2015, 30 Brits died when a mass shooting occured at the five-star tourist resort of Port El Kantaoui in Tunisia
- At around midday, gunman Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi disguised himself as a tourist, then took out an assault rifle he had concealed in a beach umbrella and fired at the tourists on the beach
- He was killed by security forces after the attack
- It was the deadliest non-state attack in Tunisia's history
- 39 people, including the gunman, died in total
After the attack, Becky said the way they were treated by staff at the hotel was "inhumane".
She said: "The reps were still trying to sell tours and excursions to people, it was disgusting."
Then added that the staff "seemed so blase" and "did nothing to help" after the attack.
While the family's holiday had been booked through Thomas Cook, the hotel staff are not otherwise connected to the package holiday giant.
Other tourists described how their traumatised children suffered panic attacks as a result of the shooting.
Lina Levine, who was staying at the resort after travelling to Mexico to marry her partner, says she was shocked by the hotels response to the incident.
"My sister was in the reception area when one of the families came in to tell the receptionists they wanted to leave the resort, as he and his five kids had witnessed the attack.
"His kids had been having panic attacks and throwing up due to the incident and it seemed the staff didn’t quite understand what he was saying.
"I didn’t see a bigger presence of security and it made our last 24 hours an unnerving time as we have two young children and were with a big group of people who had come for our wedding.
"The hotel seem to brush it under the carpet and didn’t seem bothered by the incident."
Were you caught up in the shooting? Call the Sun Online on 0207 782 4368. Email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502.
Thomas Cook, who don't own the hotel but offer package holidays through the website, confirmed that concerned guests were moved to a different hotel or a different part of the Grand Bahi Principe.
Out of 978 rooms in the hotel, approximately 20 rooms asked to move.
A spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: "We are aware of the incident near the Grand Bahia Principe Tulum Hotel in Mexico on Sunday 2 June.
"While this was an isolated incident targeting an individual, the safety and security of our customers is paramount.
"Our resort team assisted the small number of customers who wanted to move to another hotel and the majority are continuing to enjoy their holiday as planned."
Is Mexico safe for tourists?
Drug-related violence in Mexico has increased massively in recent years with murders now commonplace.
Morgues even closed down in the Mexican state of Guerrero after they were inundated with gangland victims.
Many fatalities are those killed in turf wars between the different gangs competing for trafficking routes into the US.
Cops are trying to protect tourist destinations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and Nuevo Vallarta.
The Foreign Office warns that while the government has made efforts to protect popular tourist destinations, including Playa del Carmen, there has been a number of shooting incidents in the areas.
They advise: "Crime and violence are serious problems in Mexico and the security situation can pose a risk for foreigners.
"Since 2017 there have been a number of reported shooting incidents and other incidents of violence in the main tourist destinations, including in locations popular with tourists.
"In certain parts of Mexico you should take particular care to avoid being caught up in drug related violence between criminal groups."
However, the FCO also says most tourist visits are "trouble-free".
Last year, the US issued a warning for tourists heading to Cancun after escalating violence in the holiday hot-spot.
The UK Foreign Office also updated their advice after five people were killed after a nightclub shooting in Cancun earlier this year.
Sun Online Travel has contacted the Grand Bahia Principe Resort for comment.
In the first three months of 2018 more than 100 people were killed in Cancun alone.
In one 36-hour spell in April 2018 NINE PEOPLE were murdered.
On April 21, gunmen on water scooters shot at a beach vendor in Cancun's hotel zone, though nobody was hurt.
The following month a beach vendor was killed in a double shooting on a Cancun beach by a gang on a speedboat.
And in August, eight bodies were found after a cartel murder spree - with two of the victims dismembered and found in separate plastic bags.
Most read in travel
US authorities issued a "Level 2" advisory warning to travellers to ";exercise increased caution", adding "violent crime such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking and robbery is widespread".
A State Department spokesman said: "While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted, criminal organisation assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents injuring or killing bystanders have occurred."
Current Foreign Office advice says visitors should follow local advice and be vigilant, and tourists should take particular care not to be caught up in violence between criminal groups.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.