A holiday by the beach should be a carefree escape, but for one woman, her experience took an unsettling turn after an encounter with a man that left her questioning her safety and choices.

What followed was a revealing conversation about harassment, vulnerability, and the pressure women face when simply enjoying a day in the sun.

Here's the full story.


A disturbing encounter during a beach holiday in Mexico left 26-year-old Emily Marzilli feeling shaken and questioning her personal safety.

Emily, a diving instructor, was filming crabs on the beach with her new iPhone when she turned around and found a man allegedly masturbating just metres away.

The incident, which occurred earlier this month, left Emily horrified and quickly changed her perspective on wearing a bikini while travelling.


She recounted the event on social media, where she received overwhelming support from women who had faced similar experiences.

'Does my bikini suddenly make me an object of desire?' Emily asked, expressing her shock and frustration.

Swimwear brand owner Rebecca Pask saw Emily’s story and described the man’s actions as 'disgraceful,' calling for men to 'do better.'

'No one should have to experience that,' Rebecca said, adding: 'Women should be able to wear what they want and not face the backlash of men’s actions.'


The incident unfolded when Emily was enjoying her time on the beach, filming small creatures like crabs with her iPhone.

A man approached her earlier, informing her that he would be 'naked' behind some rocks but assured her he would not 'bother' her.

After the brief exchange, Emily moved further down the beach to avoid him.

About 30 minutes later, while taking videos of crabs, she turned around to find the man just 10 metres away, pleasuring himself.

'I got a new iPhone and was testing out the camera and taking videos of little shells and crabs,' she recalled. 'It wasn’t sexy. I wasn’t on the beach twerking, I’m in like a Gollum from Lord of the Rings position with my phone.'

Panicked, she quickly stopped filming and sought out her friend before leaving the beach as fast as possible.


Back at her hostel, Emily was emotionally overwhelmed, breaking down as she shared the disturbing experience with other guests.

She questioned whether she had done something to make herself vulnerable, asking: 'What did I do to put myself in that situation?'

Her friend responded: 'You were a girl in a bikini on the beach.'

In the aftermath, Emily took to social media, where many women shared similar stories of harassment at beaches.


She was struck by how widespread the issue seemed to be.

'One girl told me she was in Greece, lying on her towel in the sun and felt rain drops from where a man had ejaculated on her,' Emily said.

'Even men' reached out to her about their experiences with flashers.

Emily admitted that it was 'shocking and alarming' just how many people had faced similar situations.


While some followers suggested she should have confronted the man or defended herself physically, Emily explained she was in shock at the time.

'There’s no way in hell I am approaching someone insane enough to do that in public,' she said. 'We were out as fast as we could.'

When discussing whether to report the incident to the police, Emily revealed that other women had been laughed at or even asked to undergo psychological tests after reporting similar experiences.

As she was heading back to Baja California, where she operates a dive school, Emily decided against reporting the matter to authorities.


In the wake of the trauma, Emily said she had felt compelled to dress more modestly while travelling to avoid similar situations.

'I think it’s sad. I love to be expressive, and part of that is the way that I dress. But I value safety and not having another experience like that,' she shared.

Her message to other women was to stay aware and always have a safety backup plan.

'The best way that we can learn how to not be in these situations is to just always be observant and have people to contact in case s*** hits the fan,' she said.

Rebecca Pask also emphasised the need for accountability, stating that 'we cannot stop how others act, we can control how we react and what we do to hold them accountable.'


She stressed that women deserve to feel empowered in whatever makes them feel confident, and in this instance, wearing a bikini was absolutely appropriate.

'The solution is just be aware of where you’re wearing skimpy bikinis and let’s educate our males on what’s acceptable and what’s not,' Rebecca added.

'That is a hard line, it’s harassment and indecent exposure is not okay.'


In a previous story, we explored the growing concerns around swimwear choices and public spaces.

This topic highlights the ongoing debate about what’s appropriate and what isn’t when it comes to beachwear.

To learn more about the recent uproar surrounding swimwear bans, be sure to check out the full story.


Incidents like these highlight how unsafe public spaces can sometimes feel for women. What steps do you think should be taken to ensure everyone feels safe at the beach?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.