A 25-year-old Cuban youth identified as Alside lost his life in the waters of Playa Linda in Puerto Madero, municipality of Tapachula, in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, after being swept away by the sea current while swimming during a beach outing with his family.
His body was found on Tuesday, October 20, nearly two days after his disappearance, according to a report from Diario de Chiapas.
The tragedy occurred on Sunday afternoon when Alside had gone to the beach accompanied by his 70-year-old father and other fellow Cubans with whom he was enjoying a day of relaxation.
According to the testimony of the father gathered by El Sol del Soconusco, the young man went into the sea to swim, but the current started to pull him away and he couldn't make it back to the shore.
His family witnessed how the sea swept him away without being able to rescue him. The disappearance triggered a search that lasted until Tuesday morning, when his body was finally located.
The search and discovery of the young Cuban
After receiving the disappearance report, search efforts were initiated in the coastal area of Puerto Madero, where the ocean currents pose a danger to swimmers.
During Monday, the family waited for news about the whereabouts of the young man. His father, who had witnessed the tragedy, had to face the uncertainty of not knowing what had happened to his son after he disappeared among the waves.
On Tuesday morning, authorities confirmed the discovery of a body in the vicinity of Puerto Madero. It was Alside's own father who identified it, according to local media reports.
The forensic services proceeded to lift the body, which was transferred to the Forensic Medical Service (Semefo) for the corresponding autopsy, according to reports from Cuarto Poder.
As of the time of the reports, the results of the autopsy had not been released. The version provided by the family states that the young man was swept away by the ocean current while swimming and was unable to return to shore.
Local media did not specify the exact location where the body was found, nor did they provide details about the procedures for its release to the family.
A Cuban migrant who was awaiting a response to his asylum application
Alside was in Tapachula, a city in the Mexican state of Chiapas near the border with Guatemala, where he was awaiting a response from the immigration authorities.
According to Cuarto Poder, the young man was waiting for the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) to determine his situation in the country.
His father told local media that Alside had arrived in that city intending to find better life opportunities. While awaiting the resolution of his application, he stayed in Tapachula along with other Cubans.
On Sunday, he had gone out with his father and several fellow countrymen to enjoy Playa Linda, unaware that the day would end with his disappearance in the sea.
Other Cubans have been in danger on the beaches of Chiapas
Playa Linda and other coastal areas of Puerto Madero are known for their strong currents, waves, and undertow, conditions that can pose a risk to those who enter the sea.
The death of Alside adds to other incidents recorded in 2026 at beaches in that region, where several Cuban citizens have required the intervention of rescue teams.
In August, a 17-year-old Cuban adolescent was rescued after being swept away by the undertow at San Benito beach, also located in the Puerto Madero area.
Days later, on August 29, a 30-year-old Cuban woman and a Honduran woman were nearly swept away by the sea at the same beach. Both were rescued by local police and personnel from the Mexican Navy, who managed to pull them out of the water.
On that occasion, the authorities of Tapachula emphasized that the intervention of the rescue teams prevented the incident from resulting in a tragedy.
In April, another seven people were rescued in a single day on the beaches of San Benito, Puerto Madero, and Playa Linda. During the summer, the Secretary of the Navy deployed 78 personnel to the beaches of Tapachula as part of Operation Lifeguard.
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