A couple from Orange County, California, witnessed a fatal crocodile attack while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and desperately tried to save the victim, but were too late.
Attack at Marina Vallarta Beach
The victim, identified only as Irving, a 28-year-old from Mexico City, was swimming at Marina Vallarta Beach around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26, when a large crocodile attacked him. Jamie Yetter and her fiancé, Chris Bury, were at a nearby pool when they heard screams from the beach.
“We just finished an evening walk … and we jumped in the pool and from the pool we heard screaming down at the beach. Chris and I are strong swimmers; we’re from Southern California [and] … so we jumped out the pool to see what was going on,” Jamie told reporters.
Mistaken for Rip Current
Initially, the couple believed the man was caught in a rip current. “We thought we saw a guy stuck in a rip current. Chris took off down to the water and I ran right after him,” Jamie said to NBC Los Angeles. They found a kayak without oars and paddled into the water to reach him.
Chris recalled: “We kayaked out to try and grab him. There were no oars; there was really nothing at the beach at all that helped. We were just kind of scrambling, trying to do what we could [and then] he got pulled under.”
Realization of Crocodile Attack
As they approached, they realized a crocodile had the man by the thigh. Jamie described the scene to ABC7: “The crocodile had him by the thigh, and he would turn, and the size of this crocodile, I mean, his head was as long as my torso, his tail thicker than my legs. He was just turning him, taking him under.”
Chris added: “He went down, and then, at that point, he stayed down. So I was over top of him, but the water was so murky, and you couldn’t even see a foot down. By the time I got to him, it was unfortunately too late. It’s pretty traumatising.”
Aftermath and Warning Signs
The victim’s remains were recovered about 12 hours later, in the early hours of Saturday, June 27. Local authorities confirmed the man was on holiday with friends. Jamie expressed grief and anger, noting that warning signs about jellyfish, stingrays, and crocodiles were displayed along the route from the hotel to the beach. She said she was “so consumed with grief and anger.”
