Family friend says Alberta woman’s body found off coast of Cancun

Family and friends are mourning after a 26-year-old Canadian woman was swept out to sea swimming near a resort in Mexico Wednesday.

A family friend confirmed to Global News that Anna Hudson of Rosebud, Alta., was on vacation for a wedding in Cancun and when she was caught in a rip tide.

“Anna and some friends of hers went to Cancun on Wednesday. When they arrived, they went to go swimming and when they went swimming, her and her best friend who is getting married, were out in the water and ran into some trouble,” said Sherri Skibsted, a family friend and neighbour of the Hudson family in Rosebud.

“The groom saw that they were in trouble and headed out to help but he could only help the bride. And at that time we understand that the groom’s best man went out to try and save Anna, but were unsuccessful. We were told they had to resuscitate the fellow that went out to try and help Anna. And that it was a rip tide that took her out.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The groom saw that they were in trouble and headed out to help but he could only help the bride. And at that time we understand that the groom's best man went out to try and save Anna, but were unsuccessful. We were told they had to resuscitate the fellow that went out to try and help Anna. And that it was a rip tide that took her out."

A Facebook post from user Jonathan Hudson, who friends identified as her brother, said “there are no words” and shared a link to a local media story.

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Local media reports said she was swimming Wednesday evening with a companion near the beach by an Iberostar Hotel when they were dragged out to sea by a strong current.

READ MORE: How to survive a rip current

A hotel lifeguard was able to rescue one swimmer but was not able to reach Hudson.

“They searched for four hours, had to call off the search because of poor weather,” said Skibsted. “And they were able to find her in daylight—they found her about a kilometre down from her hotel location on the shoreline.”

Canada’s department of Foreign Affairs said officials are providing consular assistance to family and friends.

“Canadian consular officials in Cancun, Mexico and in Ottawa are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information,” said an emailed statement from spokesperson John Babcock.

Skibsted said Hudson trained as an engineer in Edmonton and worked in Fort McMurray. She said the young woman was very close to her family, and called her a “beautiful light in everyone’s life.”

“She was her daddy’s girl and everyone who met her was her friend before they left her. She loved animals; she was kind; she had a beautiful little giggle.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "She was her daddy's girl and everyone who met her was her friend before they left her. She loved animals; she was kind; she had a beautiful little giggle."

Skibsted said she farmed with Hudson’s father, and every harvest, Hudson would return to Rosebud to see her dad, “and sit on the combine and spend hours with him.”

“She loved farming; she loved agriculture; she loved being with her dad and her mom…family was very important to her. She just was a light. I will miss her very much; she was a beautiful girl.”