Reports are sketchy at this moment, but according to sources last night Sean McGraw was killed last night in a tragic auto accident. Apparently, Sean was returning home last night and his car went off the side of the road in the Dominical area whereas his car flipped and he was ejected. Same source said, that police officers were traveling behind him were on scene moments later but he had died.

The highway along the Dominical – Cortez corridor is relatively new but has no shoulder along vast stretches of this highway and the drop is very steep making this road very dangerous to travel.  

Sean was the father of two young children, a girl and a boy and a husband according to his bio on realtor related site and was 35 years old.

Here is his biography from We Love Costa Rica:

Sean was born and raised in Wisconsin, U.S., and attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Prior to real estate, Sean founded and managed a commercial fishing operation in northern California for five years. After arriving in Costa Rica in 1996, he began his real estate career by co-founding Dominical Realty. In 2001, the company obtained a Coldwell Banker independent franchise.

In 2004, they partnered with another Coldwell Banker franchise in Costa Rica to become the Master Franchise holder for the entire country of Costa Rica.

As a member of Costa Rica Real Estate Association of Realtors, Global Associations of Realtors, and U.S. based National Association of Realtors, the Master Franchise has already grown to seven offices throughout the country, with several more currently in process. Additionally, the Coldwell Banker Dominical Realty office has grown its commission revenue to over $2M annually.

Sean is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, camping, fishing and exploring. His favorite quote is from the movie A Bug’s Life: “First rule of leadership: everything is your fault.”

The last real estate books Sean read were The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller et al., and Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson.

Sean McGraw had many friends here in Jaco and around Costa Rica. He was a well liked guy and people had only good things to say about him and he will be missed. We offer our condolences and prayers to his wife and family.

Here is a link to Sean’s blogpsot

Costa Rica has plenty of deserted beaches but one would think that with a top model coming here, one of the surfers would have heard about it and spread the news. I found this video by accident while getting Surf in Jaco ready to begin postings about our own Costa Rica champion surfer, Gilbert Brown. Enjoy the video and check back next week for stories and videos about Gilbert Brown.

When the average person thinks of surfing they picture Hawaii in their head and the surf spots on Oahu.  These same average people when they hear Maui, they think of Hawaiian vacations. But Maui also has one of the best big wave surf spot called JAWS.  The big wave Jaws, is located on the North Shore of the island Maui and it the same wave where tow surfing was perfected since you cannot access this wave by paddling out. For newbie surfers, this wave was made famous by Laird Hamilton and he is often seen online in surfing photos of Jaws taming the beast and perfecting tow surfing techniques.

Big wave surfing is not for perfecting tight arc turns but for those people who want to tame the giant waves that the ocean creates. Jaws swells are influenced by storms as far away as Alaska so each set is different and has to be taken very seriously. Jaws waves are deadly if you drop at the wrong time or you wipe out and have not conditioned your lungs and mind to be calm during the ensuing “rinse cycle” of your life. There are few surfers in the world that have the ability to take on big wave surfing so it is an elite club but one that does not have longevity. Each year we hear of surfers who underestimated the wave or overestimated their ability and have died. more…

Arno Tzit or known around town as Piper was murdered “execution sytle” last month. I wanted to wait to see what or if any results would come from an investigation. So far nothing has surfaced other than specualtion. Rumors are “he was mixing with the wrong crowd” , “this was a revenge murder” , “he owed a lot of money to the wrong people” , “the security guard was in on it since he called in sick that night.” Whatever the reasons are for his execution, he has children and they must now carry the burden of this experience for the rest of their lives.

I am saddened for Piper but mostly for his kids. They will grow up without a father who loved them very much, no more hugs, no more smiles, no more kisses, no more encouragement, no more trips together, no more cuddling in bed; this is the hard reality. All of these wonderful gifts a parent can give a child have been stolen from these young, innocent human beings. Costa Rica’s government must recognize that “wild west” justice and law does not work when international tourism is the staple currency for the country. Tourism will decline and the golden goose that has given this tiny country a voice in the world will disappear. Just last week we wrote about how Spring Breakers are choosing Costa Rica as a safer alternative to Mexico’s beaches. If this site and many other tourism related sites began posting articles of all of the crimes taking place against tourists, we would not have been able to claim Costa Rica Spring Break is the safer destination.

There has only been one posting on the net about this tragedy. Why? Are there no answer? Or is this an ugly side of Costa Rica that officials want to sweep under the rug? Whatever the case may be, Arno and his kids deserve that the truth be sought and that he is remembered. The Piper I knew, had an effusive smile that lit up his whole face. Piper’s smile brought warmth to those around him. Piper was loved by many people in Jaco and in Playa Hermosa because he was a genuine person who cared about his friends. Piper will be missed.

Recently, I was walking back to my rented house here in Jaco and as usual was being harrassed by drug dealers on the street. For the most part, if you can handle the repeated questioning “You need anything, I got what you need,” they will leave you alone. But on this particular night, passing in front of Le Loft in Jaco, a group of college students were askingthe drug dealers what drugs they could get and for how much. I stopped to observe how they drew attention to themselves and were being sized up by street thieves.

Coming to a foreign country for vacation and then buying illegal drugs is insanity. People need to think before they do something that can have extreme consequences. The consequences extend to your friends and family too, not just you. While Costa Rica, is much safer than Mexico for vacation, there still is drug violence. So why invite that violence by conducting yourself in illegal activity? Chuck Herwig has five simple tips for Costa Rica vacation travelers. Take a look at number three.

My Travel Tips for a PURA VIDA Vacation By Chuck Herwig

1. Please slow down, don’t be in a hurry. You are on vacation
2. Prepare for a new and exciting/challenging experience. After all, you could have stayed home if you didn’t want something different.
3. Don’t buy or trade drugs, you just do damage to the local people
4. Don’t leave anything, anywhere, anytime unattended. Whether its in your car, in the lobby, next to you or the park bench, etc. It will grow legs and walk away
5. Learn a couple of good words and practice them daily ex Por Favor, Gracias, Pura Vida. Its amazing how fast you will be speaking Spanish.