Crocodile Kills Vacationer in Puerto Vallarta

A beach in one of Mexico's best-known resort cities turned deadly Friday night. Officials in Jalisco state say Irving Mauricio, 28, was "engaging in recreational activities" on the Marina Vallarta Beach around 6:30pm when a crocodile seized him and dragged him out to sea, reports the New York Times. His body was found early Saturday about 1,000 feet offshore; authorities say they later captured a crocodile believed to be involved.

The beach sits in front of the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa. ABC7 reports Irving, who lives in Mexico City, was vacationing with friends; it's unclear whether he was a Marriott guest. A California couple tells ABC7 they were wrapping up a beach walk when they heard screams. "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," Jamie Yetter says.

Crocodile encounters in Puerto Vallarta are uncommon and fatalities rarer still, though a nonfatal attack occurred near the same hotel in 2021. Marriott said warning signs, red flags, and night patrols were in place, while officials urged tourists to heed posted alerts and avoid swimming at dawn, dusk, and night.