Update on Canadian couple who drowned at Progreso - tragic end to dream vacation

Many readers were interested in MGRR's original story about this sad case. The deceased couple, Jim Reimer, 72 and Jan Pridham-Drake, 57, were from Alberta. They were snowbirds who arrived in November and planned to stay until next April. This was their first trip to the area, and unfortunately it ended in tragedy.

Reimer was the father of four children and 10 grandchildren. He had worked in home construction all of his life before retiring. For Reimer and Pridham-Drake the trip "was a dream come true," the Calgary Herald quoted family members as saying.

The local medical examiner apparently found evidence of alcohol consumption by both. I'm not reporting that in a critical or judgmental way; nothing could be more normal than to relax on a Saturday evening with some drinks, especially in a beach town like Progreso. But the decision to enter the water after dark, in rough swells with a few drinks under the belt, was obviously not a wise one. The water there is usually calm, but reports that evening indicated conditions were abnormal. Family members said that neither of the victims was a strong swimmer.