ASSAULTED in Zihuatanejo! - SV Juliet Sailing Ep 41
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- čas přidán 9. 01. 2022
- After enjoying the holidays in the magical cruiser's paradise of Zihuatanejo on Mexico's Gold Coast, our time here is marred by a violent assault. LeeAnne shares the terrifying experience. We also share the pros and cons of this popular cruising destination.
(TRIGGER WARNING: details of a sexual assault are discussed)
As a native of Zihuatanejo I would like to apologize to you for that horrible experience. Sharing that with us shows all the courage and strength you possess. We are are here with you to help your healing from this traumatic experience.
Wow, what a lovely comment! Thank you so much. I struggled with the decision whether or not to make this video, but in the end I’m glad I did. Oh, and I want you to know that this one awful incident did not color my otherwise wonderful memories of the month we spent in Zihua. It’s a truly magical place.
As a runner myself… sailing…in Mexico… and LITERALLY going to Zihuatanejo in a month….. THANK YOU FOR THIS EPISODE ❤️
I can’t even begin to tell you how I went cold just listening to what happened to you because I can imagine it happing to me and you are a brave,strong, and amazing example of a strong woman.
Hope to see and meet you guys!
We’re leaving here in a day or so, making our way up to Barra. Maybe we’ll bump into you along the way!
Thanks for watching, and I’m glad it hit home for you. If I motivate even one person to take their personal safety just a bit more seriously, then making this video was worth it.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Solo traveler and I feel quite safe in MX so far but definitely taking a self defense class and eyes wide opened! Ty ty ty gracias!!!!
Thanks for being so open and courageous to share this horrible experience. I’m SO sorry for what you went through and inspired by your strength and overall approach to life after the attack. My heart is with you and I wish you light, love and joy for the coming adventures.
What a lovely comment! Thank you for your support!
Wow, this must have been terrifying but I appreciate you sharing this and great job showing the strength to move forward.
Thanks for your kind words! ❤️
Wow great video. I'm grateful you kept things from from progressing. The entire video was well done. Thank you
Thank you again for having the courage to share this traumatic assault and show us what we can learn from your experience. Sending you big hugs! Even badass sailor women need them 🤗
I will always take a hug from you, Brian! ❤️❤️❤️
As a retired nomad traveler and fellow runner I was horrified to hear about your assault in Zihuat. We were just there last month and stayed in some wonderful condos overlooking Playa Madera. We used the fisherman’s boardwalk as our running path each morning for a 3-4 miler. It was HOT! I know exactly the area you were attacked and definitively wouldn’t run that path alone. I run with someone always unless it is a busy park or main road with lots of traffic. As an older runner as well, I keep bear mace with me if I run alone and have it always in my hand as I run. Sounds like you did all the right things and I was glad to see you go back to the scene to face your fears. You were not defeated but rather you outsmarted your attacker! So proud of you from one older runner to another! Keep living life and be safe out there. Carpe Diem!
Thank you so much! Keep on running!
Seriously your video had me choked up and tears welling. Why? You are a conqueror! You did a nice job showing this could happen anywhere and you were empowering. Stay safe and continue on!
Thank you so much for this comment! I'm so happy that you saw this the way I was hoping it would be seen - as empowering. ❤️
Thanks for sharing. An ugly experience for you and a helpful message you are giving. I am cruising Japan full time and I take security for granted …. Your video is a reminder to me to never assume … stay safe and all the best in 2022
Today someone told me that she’s going to take a self-defense class because of my video. Now you tell me that you are reminded not to take security for granted. Now I know for sure I did the right thing by publicly sharing my story! It wasn’t an easy thing to do, but I’m so glad now that I did. All the best as you cruise Japan!
So sorry to hear of your attack, but glad you had the strength and courage to fight him off AND keep living your life. Never give up.Thank you for sharing, we all need to remember to follow our instincts, you just never know. A friend of mine, a woman, was attacked in her own home, managed to get away and call the police from a neighbor's house. They caught the man but told my friend that it was his word against hers and would take him into custody but...she just moved on. That was in San Francisco. My brother was killed in San Antonio, found by his son, and the police told him they would keep looking. That was 2 years ago. I've read only 4% of crimes actually get solved. No matter where we are, we need to be vigilant and the police can/or will only do so much, regardless of the country. Stay safe you guys.
Thanks Randy! I’m so sad to read the story of your brother, that must be hard. There are too many bad people out there. Makes us all the more appreciative of the good ones!
This was reported to the City, the mayor meets with the security team every morning. It is not customary to report back but they did investigate and are dealing with it. The mayor's number one concern is for safety of the visitors. In Canada where we are from the police would not get back to you either. I am sorry this happened to you, congratulations for quick thinking.
I’m so glad to hear they took it seriously! I do hope he gets caught. We very much enjoyed our time in Zihuatanejo, and hope to come back next season. Thanks for letting me know they did investigate. It was a terrifying incident, and I hate to think he’s still out there preying on women.
No mames
Great to hear you got through this and that you had the balls to kick his! I don't think you can overshare something like this because it's such an important reminder for people to trust their gut and to be prepared for the unexpected so the more people that see it the better... I love Zihua, and you're right to remind people that this type of thing can happen wherever you are in the world. Kudos to you señora
Thank you for your kind words! I love Zihua too, and we hope to sail there again this season.
Thank you for sharing your story, as difficult as that may have been. You are helping others to know what's out there. Everything is not as wonderful as we would like to imagine. Paradise is a myth. Thankfully, you are getting past this and are a strong person. Wishing you and Charlie and Bubba too, safe travels. God bless. ❤️
Thank you so much Geraldine! We’re doing great now, especially because of the support I’ve received from family members such as yourself. Much love! ❤️❤️❤️
Dear lady, sorry you had such a horrible experience. Thankfully you managed to escape.
Good for you Juliet, so proud of you!
Thank you!
Sorry to hear about your experience, I hope you have had time to heal. Just came across this video as I was researching security situation in Zihua as we intend to invest in a property.
Best of luck in your travels.
Thank you for your kind words. And good luck in your property investment. As I mentioned in the video, we loved Zihuatanejo! What happened to me could have happened anywhere in the world. Mexico is a beautiful country, and we still love it here.
Bad and sad situation. Thanks for sharing it. It was avoidable. You sharing this will help others.
Thanks. Yes, I made some serious errors in judgment. It’s so easy to feel indestructible. Lessons learned! And I do hope my sharing will educate and prevent this from happening to others.
We are so glad you had the courage and strength to fight off your attacker and relive the event to share it with everyone. Thank you for posting this video and sharing the assault publicly. The fact that the authorities did nothing even makes it more important to tell your story to anyone who will listen. Hopefully this will put some pressure on the authorities to take action next time someone is assaulted.
S/V No Regrets; Lynette & Bruce
Thanks Bruce & Lynette! It was definitely one of the most terrifying events of my life. As much as I loved my time in Zihua, it will always be something I remember about that place.
Charlie says you made it there! Enjoy...it’s a truly magical cruisers paradise. Just avoid that tunnel! 😏
@@svjuliet6055 yes, we are at the Ixtapa marina and took a taxi with Bob to the port captain today. Zihuat looked to us to be a very cool place. We were walking around looking for a fruit and vegetable stand and ran into a couple from Wisconsin. The were living in an apartment downtown as they had retired from teaching school and are retiring there. They were very friendly and helpful at getting us to the fresh produce market. We will certainly avoid the tunnel. :)
Wow, very good and important video. Where did you rent the electric bikes?
Thank you! We rented the e-bikes from Zihuatanejo Dive Center, which does scuba excursions as well as e-bike rentals. They did a great job!
You are courageous!! Awful experience but extremely impressed on how you dealt with it.
Thank you so much!
Way to go !! I love your spirit and advice to other women to develop their self defence skills and learn how to go crazy and do some damage.
Thank you! That’s Exactly why I made this video…to encourage other women to learn how to defend themselves. I appreciate your comment!
It's sad to hear that 70% of women freeze up when attacked and that's where self defense training could make a dramatic difference.
Exactly!
This is wonderful! So glad you were safe, LeeAnne! Where are the masks? I don't see anyone wearing one!
People are mostly wearing them here, but not everyone does. It’s Mexico...a different culture. We always have them on if we’re indoors, and usually have them on when outdoors if we’re around other people. We take them off for photos and video shots, tho. 😉
@@svjuliet6055 Just curious because I didn't see anyone with them at the restaurant. I thought maybe Covid wasn't as rampant.
Well it’s kinda hard to eat through a mask. 😉 People generally remove their masks once they sit down at a restaurant. Plus the restaurant was outdoors, and we’re all vaxxed. We cruisers are generally pretty covid-safe: we spend many days isolated aboard our boats.
@@svjuliet6055 Good to know.
its a shame anyone has to go through this, may the find the perpetrator and bring him to justice !
Thanks for your support! I too hope he's brought to justice.
I was locked up in zihuatanejo for 3 months in a street called Tulipanes
Yikes! 😳
Congratulations, a triumphant story. Your fitness saved you really. A powerful lesson for others. But I'm curious....were you listening to music with earbuds when running? And were you wearing your Apple watch? I see women running everywhere listening to loud music, completely cut off from their surroundings, even at night. This is insanity.
Also a lot of foreigners don't realize that electronics are heavily taxed in Mexico making them almost impossible to obtain by locals and they resent it when they see foreigners flippantly displaying these impossible to get items. So the motivation to steal is very, very high there. Now I realize this assault wasn't really about theft of course.
Suggestion: Run barefoot on the beach. Much better for your body than unrelenting concrete and running in bare feet is infinitely better than running in shoes. On the beach nobody would ever do that because of the enormous visibility everywhere.
You too are an inspiring couple in so many ways. Thank you for sharing with the world. You truly uplift us.
Thank you for your kind words! Yes, I was wearing my ear buds, but I was listening to an audiobook and it wasn’t loud. But the lesson for me now is that I only wear one bud, leaving one ear free. And yes you are correct, this was clearly not about theft. I continue to run when we get in land and there’s a safe place to do so. No more running under overpasses or in areas not visible to the public!
@@svjuliet6055 Bare feet on the beach is the ultimate. And for a REAL workout, try running in soft sand. That can be exhausting.
I'm sorry this happened to you but, this was kind of your fault. You are in a third world country, even though this could have happened in the states. Also are you pronouncing unitenejo correctly?
That was supposed to be ziwatinejo, using the speaker due to rheumatoid arthritis
Wow. Talk about blaming the victim! So it’s my fault because I was in Mexico? That’s nuts. So anyone who gets assaulted in a third world country, it’s their own fault just for being there?
That’s offensive. Do better.
And yes, I pronounced it correctly. Sounds like you are unfamiliar with the region.
What a horrible thing to say Patty. As a retired Police Officer in the US and someone who has spent years in Mexico (at least 4+ months in Zihuatanejo), I can tell you thing could have happened in the US just as easily. This is in no way, shape, or form the victim's fault.
@@SeattleLifeguard when I was about 30 in Mexico, I stabbed a man in the thigh, who was trying to rob an assault me. You should always be ready
do you really want a police state in mexico like we have here in america?
I have no idea what you are asking. I said nothing about wanting a police state in Mexico. I WOULD like to see a literal rapist get caught and imprisoned. Is that a problem for you?
Thanks for the heads up... I think I'm going to stay away from Mexico now. It's just too dangerous!!!
I'm sorry you got that impression from my video. I tried to make a point that this can happen anywhere - even around the corner from your house. It's not a "Mexico" problem. Yes, there are places in Mexico that aren't safe - but there are places in the US, UK and pretty much every country in the world that are unsafe. Mexico is a beautiful country, and Zihuatanejo is a lovely town with much to offer. If you stick to the areas that are known as tourism draws, they are as safe as any other place you might visit. Just don't go running into dark, deserted tunnels, like I did! 😉
What a dumb comment you just did, welcome to the real world where you can be in danger ANYWHERE unless you want to be in a bubble with you narrow mind.
Going out alone was your mistake. It's OK in a gated community in Florida, but doing it in Mexico is a mistake. American women do not understand that being out alone sends a message to bad actors that think you are looking for sex.
That’s BS. You’re blaming the victim. I was not walking around looking for sex. I was on a run. I see women running by themselves here in Mexico all the time, especially in areas frequented by tourists. My only mistake was running under that bridge where I couldn’t be seen, giving a predator a chance to attack. Stop blaming women for their assaults. Blame the men who assaulted them!