A 28-year-old man was killed by a crocodile on a beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with new video emerging of the reptile after the attack. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Friday at Marina Vallarta Beach.
Jalisco state police identified the victim as a Mexican national who was in the resort town for work. His body was recovered approximately 12 hours later on Saturday morning.
A couple from California, Jamie Yetter and Chris Bury, were staying at a nearby resort and were relaxing by the pool when they heard screams from the beach. Believing the man was caught in a rip current, Bury entered the water in a paddleless kayak in an attempt to reach him, 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 said, recalling that he was on the kayak when the victim was pulled under.
Despite their efforts, they were unable to save the man.
Footage captured after the attack shows a large crocodile with its jaws open near the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa.
Yetter stated that warning signs were posted near the beach, indicating the presence of jellyfish, stingrays, and crocodiles. However, her family initially mistook the crocodile symbol for an iguana. "They didn’t tell anyone it was dangerous," Yetter told Surfer.com.
She also noted that no specific warnings against swimming were posted, and the beach remained open the following morning, with other beachgoers swimming in the ocean. "Even the next morning, I went down to the ocean. I assumed the beach would be closed. The beach wasn’t closed. There were no no-swimming signs," Yetter added.