Twelve months ago, Jake and Callum Robinson vanished along with their travel companion Carter Rhoad, sparking a massive search operation and the eventual discovery of the burnt-out vehicle they were travelling in, alongside three abandoned tents at a camp site.

Police eventually discovered their bodies at the bottom of a well in the Baja California region, about an hour south of the United States border.

A local man was charged with homicide and three associates were charged with kidnapping.

“We think of the future they could’ve had,” Mr Robinson said. “As young men, [one day] getting married and having families of their own. It’s all been taken away.

“I just miss being able to talk to them. I’ll read something or hear something and feel like picking my phone up to send them a message, but I can’t do that now. I miss that so much.”

Ms Robinson said grief had changed and getting back into life had been difficult.

“They don’t have a future, there’s no more, and that’s a very hard thing to come to grips with. It just seems like such a waste.”

In the wake of their deaths, the parents have received hundreds of messages from around the world from those who knew Callum, 33, and Jake, 30, as well as total strangers touched by their story.

“I think that’s the only thing that’s kept us going, to be honest,” Ms Robinson said.

“It seems to grow and we’re very grateful. We’re grateful so many people have contacted us and helped us. I think Callum and Jake, I didn’t realise, surrounded themselves with really good people.

“Now we’re beginning to meet some of them, they’re meeting each other, there are so many crazy connections. It’s helped us immensely. That’s what’s keeping us afloat.”

Mr Robinson added: “We’ve just been blown away by the amazing stories we’ve heard from people who knew them … and the influence they had.”

The couple had “learned to adapt” to the constant grief and heartache and they have good days and bad days, he said.

“I don’t think things are going to get easier though,” he said. “The ache is constant and the silence in our lives [is] deafening.”

In the midst of the pain, the family has launched The Callum and Jake Robinson Foundation. Its message is: “Live Bigger. Shine Brighter. Love Harder.”

The organisation aims to reflect and amplify the way the brothers lived their lives – “through community, compassion, sport and care for the environment”.

Over recent months, the foundation has started providing grants to support various initiatives, including beach and coastal ecosystem conservation, promoting the men’s beloved sport of lacrosse, and support athletes living with diabetes.

The couple hope the foundation can carry their sons’ spirits forward and encourage people to “live like Jake and Callum did – with wide-open hearts and an unshakeable zest for life”.

“If we can make a difference, it will make it easier for us to keep going,” Mr Robinson said.

“We’re really just starting but the momentum we’re building is massive. In another 12 months’ time, I’m sure we’ll have a lot of stories to tell about what we’ve achieved.”

Ms Robinson also urged others to make the most of life.

“You never know what’s going to happen with your life. Tell people you love them. Say the things you want to say. It’s important because you never know when it’s going to be the last time. Never miss that opportunity.”

To mark the tough anniversary, Callum’s girlfriend Emily Howarth posted a heartbreaking tribute to Instagram yesterday.

“Coming out of this weekend I find myself trying to find the words,” Ms Howarth wrote. “Heartbreak, love, comfort, emotional pain, exhaustion, community, respect, vulnerability. A lot of tears and a heavy absence all wrapped into me.”

To support the foundation or get involved, visit cjrfoundation.com