A 28-year-old man was fatally attacked by a crocodile Friday evening at Marina Vallarta Beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, an incident witnessed by a vacationing couple from California. The man, identified as a resident of Mexico on vacation for work, was attacked around 6:30 p.m. near the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa.
Authorities recovered the victim's body approximately 12 hours later on Saturday morning. The San Clemente couple, Jamie Yetter and Chris Bury, were at the resort when they heard screams from the beach. Believing a person was caught in a rip current, Bury entered the water using a paddle-less kayak in an attempt to reach the man, while Yetter followed.
"There were no oars. There was really nothing at the beach at all to help. We were just scrambling, trying to do what we could," Bury recounted. "I was on the kayak right when he got pulled under."
The couple noted that beach signage warned of jellyfish, stingrays, and crocodiles, but they initially mistook the crocodile imagery on the signs for an iguana.
Despite their efforts, the couple was unable to save the victim. This incident occurred near the location of a previous crocodile attack in 2022 that injured two tourists from Colorado.
By Saturday morning, beachgoers were reportedly swimming in the same area. The Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa has not issued a comment regarding the incident.