International Travelers Bill of Rights

On January 6, 2007 22-year-old son Nolan L. Webster and his girlfriend flew to Cancun Mexico for a one-week dream vacation as a gift for his college graduation from his mother, Maureen Webster and his father. Nolan graduated from the University of Massachusetts 3 weeks prior to his senseless and untimely death. On Sunday, January 7th, 2007 less than 30 hours after his arrival at the Oasis Hotel, Nolan was dead. He was pulled from the 4 1/2 foot deep hotel pool alive but unconscious. This tragedy took place in the middle of the afternoon with a resort full of guests. Nolan’s death is not only horrific, but also an unimaginable loss of a very special individual. We have since learned that Nolan is not the only U.S. victim that has died at this resort.

In March of 2010, Davon Green Franklin flew to Cancun for the last Spring Break of his college career at Howard University. On the morning of Davon’s tragic death, he posted an ironic message to his twitter account – “Life Lessons from the ocean water: the waves will pull you out further before they take you back to shore.” Less than five hours later Davon had drowned while life guards on the beach resort were too far away to save his life. Since his passing, Davon’s mother, Inez Tate-Franklin has committed countless amounts of energy to ensure that her son’s death was not in vain.

Nolan and Davon are not the only U.S. citizens to lose their lives while vacationing abroad. The U.S. State Department’s article on the “Death of U.S. citizen’s abroad from non-natural causes” indicates that there are hundreds of victims. Thirty-two percent of all “non-natural” deaths of U.S. citizens outside this country occur in Mexico. On June 26, 2009, after working closely with Maureen Webster, Congress Edward Markey introduced The International Travelers Bill of Rights. Since that time, Maureen and Inez have become close friends and have committed to working together in their effort to see the bill signed into law.