Brit tourist drowns after being swept away while swimming with his children in Cancun - as family criticise lifeguards' 'slow response'

By GERARD COUZENS and SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 08:44, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 08:48, 21 July 2026 A British tourist has drowned after being swept away by strong waves in the Mexican resort of Cancun while swimming with his children.  The 60-year-old reportedly got into difficulty after going into the water despite a red flag warning. His two children, whose ages have not been revealed, were rescued.  However, the father was pulled from the sea unconscious and, despite efforts to resuscitate him, was pronounced dead at the scene. The tragedy occurred on San Miguelito Beach, opposite the four-star NYX Cancun Hotel, on Friday afternoon. The man's family are understood to have claimed lifeguards had been slow to respond. Tourist police sealed off the area after it was confirmed he had lost his life. Officials have not yet made any comment about the alleged failings in the lifeguard service. A British tourist has drowned after being swept away by strong waves in the Mexican resort of Cancun. File image of a beach in Cancun  The tragedy unfolded on San Miguelito Beach, opposite Nyx Hotel (pictured)  The Daily Mail has approached the Foreign Office for comment.   The tragedy comes several months after a British tourist drowned after being dragged out to sea in a rip current in Bali.  The 39-year-old was on holiday when he went swimming at Nyang-Nyang Beach back in March, where it is believed the current pulled him away.  His body was discovered floating near the Pecatu village early Monday morning, where two tourists helped pull him ashore. Paramedics arrived at the scene, where they confirmed the man was dead before taking him to hospital for a post-mortem examination. Last September, another Brit also tragically drowned after being swept out to sea by a rip current while holidaying in Bali. Harrison Nada-Kontounas, 23, died after a rip dragged him away from friends at Bali's Legian Point at Kuta Beach. While his two friends managed to make it back to shore, Nada-Kontounas was caught in the surf, battling strong currents and 30km/h winds. Lifeguards tried to reach him but missed by just a metre. Nada-Kontounas's body was found two days later about 3.2km offshore from where he was last seen. In a statement given to the Daily Mail, the family confirmed news of their son's death in the hours after he was found. 'With deep sadness, we confirm that Harrison’s body was recovered today, approximately two miles offshore from where he was last seen,' the statement read. Nada-Kontounas' mum expressed her family's grief and paid tribute to her 'gentle, kind and funny' son. 'Harrison was one of the most gentle, kind, and funny young men you could ever meet,' she wrote. 'Harrison’s life, though heartbreakingly short, was filled with love, light, and friendship. He is one who left us far too early, but whose spirit will never be forgotten.'