Oklahoma college students possibly drugged at Mexican resort, hospitalized in Dallas
DALLAS – Several college students from Oklahoma are back in the United States after two girls in their group were possibly drugged at a resort in Cancun, Mexico. One of the girls spoke from her hospital bed in Dallas, where she is recovering.
Zara Hull and Jake Snider, along with friends, traveled to Cancun last Thursday.
"We just had a pool day," said Hull.
The vacation turned into a nightmare after Hull and her friend Kaylie visited the pool bar.
"We both got water and within two minutes, Jake had turned around and we both hit the bar, heads down at the same time," Hull said.
They believe the water was drugged. Hull experienced severe symptoms, including convulsions, and was rushed to a private hospital in Mexico.
"Basically, it was just me and Zara in this hospital that had hundreds of rooms," said Snider, Hull's boyfriend.
"All the locks are on the outside of the room so they can lock you in," Hull said.
Snider never left Hull's side.
The hospital demanded tens of thousands of dollars for her care.
"They had increased the money they wanted. The baseline was $10,000 for them to even look at me," Hull said. "They were holding me captive. We're college students; we don't have the money they're asking for."
Thirty hours later, they secured a private plane to Dallas, where Hull has been hospitalized since Saturday.
"When we got here, I could not breathe on my own. They would try to get me off the ventilator, and every time my lungs would just stop," Hull said.
She has had at least 18 convulsions, but doctors have not found anything wrong. They say it is possible she was drugged.
Hull is on the road to recovery but will require physical therapy to learn how to walk again. The students' families have not disclosed the name of the resort or hospital in Mexico out of fear for their safety.
"There's no telling, and that could put our entire families in jeopardy," Hull said.
They hope their story serves as a warning for others.
"We're not going to leave the United States ever again," Hull said. "They say the resort is the safest place; don't leave it. That's not true."
The families are asking for donations to help pay for Hull's mounting medical bills, which total in the tens of thousands of dollars.