Missing Alabama student in Barcelona

[Anonymous]

This hits so close to home and my heart. My son recently was at the exact same popular nightclub Shoko on the beach in Spain. They had a table, it was hot and packed. He left his phone and friends, went outside to get fresh air thinking they’d let him back in because of purchased table. The bouncers refused because the line to get in was 200 long. So he was separated from phone, apple wallet and friends. He had no cash for taxi, no maps spoke no Catalon. After four hours of wandering around Spain he finally found two girls who spoke English who gave him directions to his hotel where he arrived safely scared but exhausted and went to sleep.

Back home in the states I could see on Life 360 that he hadn’t moved from the club in 7 hours. Waited for the club to close and when he didn’t move, knew there was a problem. Had his friends scour the beach for him in the dark in groups worried he was in the ocean because it was so close to where his phone was pinging. Finally heard from him after 15 hours when the club reopened and he retrieved his phone at 3pm Spain time. Was so upset he didn’t find a way to contact me sooner. It was the longest most terrifying night of my life.

That same night one of his friends wallet and phone were stolen. He was also held up by knife point in Italy weeks later. If you have a child studying abroad or visiting foreign countries, you must drill into them street smarts, a few important phrases in the native language, have names and phone numbers of the kids they are with, name of hotel, flight info, rules for check in or please do not let them go. We made mistakes by not doing those things. It’s not Disneyland. They can not go anywhere without their phone. They need their phone in a safe interior pocket at all times and CASH! Such a lesson to learn. Thankfully my son was not drunk so that he couldn’t function. If he had been, my heart lurches and breaks at the thought. This child could have been my boy. I am shaken to the core. This should have never happened but it so easily does. It’s so easy to be caught up in the excitement and glamour of a foreign country. Kids will be kids. Such a beautiful boy who sounds like he was a really great kid. Praying for this family with all my heart. Devastating.

[Anonymous]

Also make your kid carry an old school map of the city in their pocket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This hits so close to home and my heart. My son recently was at the exact same popular nightclub Shoko on the beach in Spain. They had a table, it was hot and packed. He left his phone and friends, went outside to get fresh air thinking they’d let him back in because of purchased table. The bouncers refused because the line to get in was 200 long. So he was separated from phone, apple wallet and friends. He had no cash for taxi, no maps spoke no Catalon. After four hours of wandering around Spain he finally found two girls who spoke English who gave him directions to his hotel where he arrived safely scared but exhausted and went to sleep.

Back home in the states I could see on Life 360 that he hadn’t moved from the club in 7 hours. Waited for the club to close and when he didn’t move, knew there was a problem. Had his friends scour the beach for him in the dark in groups worried he was in the ocean because it was so close to where his phone was pinging. Finally heard from him after 15 hours when the club reopened and he retrieved his phone at 3pm Spain time. Was so upset he didn’t find a way to contact me sooner. It was the longest most terrifying night of my life.

That same night one of his friends wallet and phone were stolen. He was also held up by knife point in Italy weeks later. If you have a child studying abroad or visiting foreign countries, you must drill into them street smarts, a few important phrases in the native language, have names and phone numbers of the kids they are with, name of hotel, flight info, rules for check in or please do not let them go. We made mistakes by not doing those things. It’s not Disneyland. They can not go anywhere without their phone. They need their phone in a safe interior pocket at all times and CASH! Such a lesson to learn. Thankfully my son was not drunk so that he couldn’t function. If he had been, my heart lurches and breaks at the thought. This child could have been my boy. I am shaken to the core. This should have never happened but it so easily does. It’s so easy to be caught up in the excitement and glamour of a foreign country. Kids will be kids. Such a beautiful boy who sounds like he was a really great kid. Praying for this family with all my heart. Devastating.

I'm so sorry that happened to your son, PP! My son went to study abroad in Paris. I impressed upon him that he should never separate himself from his phone, always make sure it was charged (it was new, so no battery problems), and for going out at night, to always stick to someone else. He's not a partier, but he stuck with his group until the wee hours of the morning, bar-hopping and such, in part to guide all the drunk kids back to their studios, and in part to not be left by himself in the middle of the night.

There are some basic safety rules you do not break, and if you see a friend too drunk to make the right decisions, it's imperative to try and persuade them to chose the safe option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This hits so close to home and my heart. My son recently was at the exact same popular nightclub Shoko on the beach in Spain. They had a table, it was hot and packed. He left his phone and friends, went outside to get fresh air thinking they’d let him back in because of purchased table. The bouncers refused because the line to get in was 200 long. So he was separated from phone, apple wallet and friends. He had no cash for taxi, no maps spoke no Catalon. After four hours of wandering around Spain he finally found two girls who spoke English who gave him directions to his hotel where he arrived safely scared but exhausted and went to sleep.

Back home in the states I could see on Life 360 that he hadn’t moved from the club in 7 hours. Waited for the club to close and when he didn’t move, knew there was a problem. Had his friends scour the beach for him in the dark in groups worried he was in the ocean because it was so close to where his phone was pinging. Finally heard from him after 15 hours when the club reopened and he retrieved his phone at 3pm Spain time. Was so upset he didn’t find a way to contact me sooner. It was the longest most terrifying night of my life.

That same night one of his friends wallet and phone were stolen. He was also held up by knife point in Italy weeks later. If you have a child studying abroad or visiting foreign countries, you must drill into them street smarts, a few important phrases in the native language, have names and phone numbers of the kids they are with, name of hotel, flight info, rules for check in or please do not let them go. We made mistakes by not doing those things. It’s not Disneyland. They can not go anywhere without their phone. They need their phone in a safe interior pocket at all times and CASH! Such a lesson to learn. Thankfully my son was not drunk so that he couldn’t function. If he had been, my heart lurches and breaks at the thought. This child could have been my boy. I am shaken to the core. This should have never happened but it so easily does. It’s so easy to be caught up in the excitement and glamour of a foreign country. Kids will be kids. Such a beautiful boy who sounds like he was a really great kid. Praying for this family with all my heart. Devastating.

I'm so sorry that happened to your son, PP! My son went to study abroad in Paris. I impressed upon him that he should never separate himself from his phone, always make sure it was charged (it was new, so no battery problems), and for going out at night, to always stick to someone else. He's not a partier, but he stuck with his group until the wee hours of the morning, bar-hopping and such, in part to guide all the drunk kids back to their studios, and in part to not be left by himself in the middle of the night.

There are some basic safety rules you do not break, and if you see a friend too drunk to make the right decisions, it's imperative to try and persuade them to chose the safe option.

Oh, and my husband was so paranoid he made him get a wallet chain for his pocket - they drilled a hole in the wallet, attached the chain to the wallet with a little clip at the waistband, etc. Thankfully it was discreet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He got drunk, fell in the water, and drowned.

So many young men die this way. Seems whenever one goes missing while out at night, it is about a 50%+ chance they drowned.

No he was robbed and a fight ensued and they pushed him in. Where’s the girl?
Who got his phone? Where’s the necklace?

They have a witness who saw him walking up onto a rocky outcropping overlooking the water. He probably lost his balance or took a misstep in the dark. Lots of drunk young men get into fights and lose things too, but that isn't the same as being murdered.

Link?
I just don’t trust the Spanish here. Remember Amanda?

except that was Italy...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just saw an article pop up saying a body was found in the water.

I said it before they found him… He’s dead

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This hits so close to home and my heart. My son recently was at the exact same popular nightclub Shoko on the beach in Spain. They had a table, it was hot and packed. He left his phone and friends, went outside to get fresh air thinking they’d let him back in because of purchased table. The bouncers refused because the line to get in was 200 long. So he was separated from phone, apple wallet and friends. He had no cash for taxi, no maps spoke no Catalon. After four hours of wandering around Spain he finally found two girls who spoke English who gave him directions to his hotel where he arrived safely scared but exhausted and went to sleep.

Back home in the states I could see on Life 360 that he hadn’t moved from the club in 7 hours. Waited for the club to close and when he didn’t move, knew there was a problem. Had his friends scour the beach for him in the dark in groups worried he was in the ocean because it was so close to where his phone was pinging. Finally heard from him after 15 hours when the club reopened and he retrieved his phone at 3pm Spain time. Was so upset he didn’t find a way to contact me sooner. It was the longest most terrifying night of my life.

That same night one of his friends wallet and phone were stolen. He was also held up by knife point in Italy weeks later. If you have a child studying abroad or visiting foreign countries, you must drill into them street smarts, a few important phrases in the native language, have names and phone numbers of the kids they are with, name of hotel, flight info, rules for check in or please do not let them go. We made mistakes by not doing those things. It’s not Disneyland. They can not go anywhere without their phone. They need their phone in a safe interior pocket at all times and CASH! Such a lesson to learn. Thankfully my son was not drunk so that he couldn’t function. If he had been, my heart lurches and breaks at the thought. This child could have been my boy. I am shaken to the core. This should have never happened but it so easily does. It’s so easy to be caught up in the excitement and glamour of a foreign country. Kids will be kids. Such a beautiful boy who sounds like he was a really great kid. Praying for this family with all my heart. Devastating.

This is so scary. My kids were in Spain and Italy last summer and I drilled all this into them but I was still scared. Thieves in Europe are ruthless scum bags, organized too. And the authorities do not give a shit. I can’t believe the nightclub would not let him retrieve his own phone!

[Anonymous]

I studied in Spain in an era where no one had phones. I survived.

[Anonymous]

Getting blackout drunk in a place you are unfamiliar with is an always a bad idea. I don’t think drinking is a bad thing, but you have to be able to have enough awareness to make it home safely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So sad and tragic.

I’m sorry, I don’t care you don’t leave your friends at a bar, anywhere. If somebody wants to stay, you draw straws to see who stays. I tell my child that too. It shouldn’t be this way but society forces this on us. I think.

Especially in a strange city or foreign country!

My brother lived all over the world in his 20s and 30s. He was home for a visit and went out with high school friends drinking. Some people wanted to stay and he wanted to leave and walk for “fresh air”. He’s gone now.
I feel like all his time abroad actually gave him a false sense of safety. The countries he lived in were all low-crime and I think he was used to walking around cities at night without fear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So sad and tragic.

I’m sorry, I don’t care you don’t leave your friends at a bar, anywhere. If somebody wants to stay, you draw straws to see who stays. I tell my child that too. It shouldn’t be this way but society forces this on us. I think.

Especially in a strange city or foreign country!

My brother lived all over the world in his 20s and 30s. He was home for a visit and went out with high school friends drinking. Some people wanted to stay and he wanted to leave and walk for “fresh air”. He’s gone now.
I feel like all his time abroad actually gave him a false sense of safety. The countries he lived in were all low-crime and I think he was used to walking around cities at night without fear.

Gone? 🥹

[Anonymous]

Many drunk people fall in the water.

https://www.dutchamsterdam.nl/2152-amsterdam-canals-drownings

Not saying something similar happened to this young man.

But agree, it would sure be helpful if someone in the group was the designated thinker.

[Anonymous]

I would never let my daughter go away to a spring break destination, that is for sure. No good can cone from hundreds and hundreds of drunk teens together, without adult supervision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never let my daughter go away to a spring break destination, that is for sure. No good can cone from hundreds and hundreds of drunk teens together, without adult supervision.

Idk that this kid was on that sort of spring break: He was in Amsterdam before. These sorts of club outings are popular in the US too and "non-spring breaky" college students do go to them even on more cultural trips.

[Anonymous]

The friends should be ashamed for leaving him. Now he is dead.