MOONBEAM - Lisa Sambell still loves Mexico, even after getting caught in the crossfire of cartel violence.
The Moonbeam woman, who is originally from London, Ont, is recounting the terrifying moment she was shot while on vacation and is sharing tips for other tourists heading to the sunny destination.
Sambell, an experienced traveller and frequent visitor to Mexico, planned to stay in Playa del Carmen from Jan. 6 to Feb. 3.
On Jan. 26, she and her boyfriend were at Oh La Habana, a karaoke bar and restaurant near the 5th Avenue area, watching a football game and playing pool when the night took a shocking turn.
“We had just ordered pizza and were having a great time when all of a sudden, we heard what sounded like fireworks,” Sambell told TimminsToday.
“At first, I thought it was a joke, but when the second shot rang out, I realized it was gunfire.”
Within seconds, panic erupted in the bar as patrons ducked for cover.
Sambell took shelter under a pool table, but amidst the chaos, she was shot in the arm.
“I still don’t know exactly how I was hit,” she said.
“I just remember bleeding everywhere and yelling, ‘I’ve been shot!’”
Sambell said her boyfriend, who had been standing near a window, narrowly avoided being shot in the head.
“The bullet missed him by inches,” she said. “We were incredibly lucky.”
According to local authorities, two men on a motorcycle fired 14 rounds into the establishment, Sambell said.
A security guard — who was ex-military and armed — returned fire, preventing further casualties, she said
“I mean, really, just wrong place, wrong time. The owner of the bar wasn't paying his bills, and the cartel wanted to send a message, and we just happened to be there,” Sambell said.
Sambell was rushed to a nearby hospital — Amerimed Hospitals Playa del Carmen — where medical staff removed the bullet from her arm and treated additional wounds caused by bullet fragments in her leg.
“The hospital was amazing. They acted quickly and took great care of me,” she said.
“We were very lucky that it hit the window first, and then, obviously, by the time it hit me, I had a smaller piece of the bullet.”
Her experience with law enforcement was far less reassuring.
“The police were aggressive and took us to multiple locations for questioning,” she said.
“We were terrified. At one point, we were in a truck with armed officers, driving through dark alleys. I truly thought they were going to kill us and make us disappear.”
Adding to her stress, Sambell did not have travel insurance.
“My boyfriend said don’t worry about the insurance, we can put it on the credit card. Because I was freaking out. I’d heard horror stories of people facing medical bills as high as $30,000 without travel insurance,” she said.
“I’ve travelled to Mexico at least once a year since I was 18. I’d always travelled without travel insurance.”
Sambell’s medical expenses amounted to about $5,000, and a GoFundMe campaign has since been launched to help cover the costs.
Following the attack, Sambell and her boyfriend relocated to Tulum — about an hour drive from Playa del Carmen — for the remainder of their trip, hoping to regain a sense of safety before returning to Canada.
“The next day, my boyfriend talked to someone, they said, 'Look, I'm going to tell you this one time, and one time only, if you start asking questions, the cartel will just come and they'll just kill you and your girlfriend and anybody else you're traveling with. So it's best to keep your mouth shut,’” she said.
“We asked the Airbnb host if he wouldn't mind moving us. He was able to find us a spot in Tulum. So, we went there for the remaining four nights because we weren't able to get flights out or anything. We felt a lot safer there,” she said.
Now back home, Sambell is still processing the traumatic experience. Bullet fragments remain in her arm, and she is seeking medical follow-up to determine if further treatment is needed.
Despite everything, she says she still loves Mexico but will approach future travel with more caution.
Her advice to others?
“This could happen to anyone. Be vigilant. Know that cartel activity is real. Avoid risky situations, stick to well-lit areas, and get travel insurance,” she said.
As a lasting reminder of the ordeal, her boyfriend has turned the bullet removed from her arm into a necklace.
“He wears it around his neck,” she said.
“It was such a traumatic experience for both of us — he wanted to keep it as a symbol of what we survived.”