A vacation ahead of the holidays for a Calgary couple to relax before the Christmas chaos ended in tragedy — which triggered a bureaucratic nightmare.
“They booked business class, they booked diving trips, they booked all sorts of really cool things to do together to kind of reconnect,” says Meagan Grabst of her parent’s dream vacation.
But the unthinkable happened on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. While scuba diving, her stepdad Glenn Boyd had trouble breathing and drowned before he could reach the surface.
Three weeks later, Grabst’s mom, Christine Boyd, is still in Mexico fighting to get her husband’s ashes and death certificate.
“She’s basically stuck there now,” says Grabst.
“We’re just waiting for all of these processes to go through and trying to get her home.”
Glenn was cremated at a Mexican funeral home and there is a $6,500 fee to get his ashes and death certificate released.
The money has been transferred to the home, but the bank warns it could take 10 business days for the funds to clear, leaving Christine in the country for a few more weeks.
“She doesn’t want to leave without him,” says Grabst.
“She said, ‘I can’t do that, I’ll sleep on the beach before I leave without him.’”
Get breaking National news
The longer Christine stays in Mexico, the more the fees are adding up. On top of the bill for the funeral home, there are the rising accommodation costs and last-minute flights once Christine has the ashes, which has the family relying on the generosity of others.
Grabst was able to raise $16,000 in four days as part of a GoFundMe to help the costs and some of that money already on its way south.
“Thank God we raised that money, we wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise,” says Grabst. “I really wish Glenn could see the way people stood up and rooted for him and helped, because he would have never asked for anything anybody, he always gave.”
A GoFundMe set up to provide support after a Calgary man suddenly died in Mexico.
GoFundMe
Grabst and her mom have reached out to both Expedia, where the trip was booked, and WestJet, the carrier, about changing flights and were originally met with the response that no assistance could be offered until a death certificate was provided.
As the story has become more public, both companies have stepped up to help.
A statement from Expedia reads, “Our deepest sympathies go out to the Boyd family during this time. During our investigation, we contacted WestJet, and their policy states bereavement fares are available only through the airline directly. In most circumstances, we follow our partner’s policies when it comes to these matters, however, given the situation and the experience, we will be providing a refund for the return trip ticket to Ms. Boyd to help during this time.
“We are reaching out to arrange this with her directly. If we can be of any further assistance to the Boyd family, we do ask them to reach out to our customer service team.“
WestJet, meanwhile, is, “in the process of reaching out to Ms. Boyd to help arrange a flight back to Calgary at no cost when she is ready to return. In addition, when the guest receives the death certificate from the Mexican officials, she will be able to request an Exceptional Circumstance Refund for the original flights.”
Both companies offered condolences to the family during the difficult time.
Travel experts say comprehensive insurance helps cover many of the unexpected costs in situations like these, while contacting the embassy can help navigate the process in a foreign country.
For Grabst and her family, this has been a tragic learning experience, but both she and her mom are thankful for everyone who stepped up to help along the way.
“The people on the ground are the ones that care, through the GoFundMe in Calgary and even the people giving my mom a place to stay in Mexico.
“Those are the people who have been helping us.”