A Costa Rican soccer player was killed by a crocodile in what has become one of the saddest and craziest stories of the summer. Jesus “Chucho” Lopez Ortiz was found and pictured in the mouth of a giant croc on Saturday in disturbing footage that was released on social media.
Jesus “Chucho” Lopez Ortiz, 29, was swimming in the Cañas River in Costa Rica when the fatal attack occurred. The Cañas River is near the town of Cañas River. The Tico Times reported on the story, saying that the water of the Cañas River is severely infested by crocodiles.
According to reports, Ortiz jumped from a bridge into the water and that was where he met his doom. According to police sergeant Marcelino Hernandez of the Santa Cruz station, Ortiz’s cause of death was unclear. The police chief stated that Ortiz likely died from either drowning or injuries sustained by the prehistoric crocodile.
The crocodile was then seen swimming through the river with the remains of Ortiz in its gaping jaw, a sight which has taken many who have seen the gruesome video aback. Authorities then began attempting the get Ortiz’s remains from the croc, using their firearms to encourage the croc to give up its prey.
Many on the internet have been quick to note that extreme care is necessary when in an area that may contain any crocodiles. While the animals are not often found to be hunting humans, a hungry croc will not shy away from an opportunistic attack on people. Therefore, it is generally smart to stay away from bodies of water that may contain the animal.
History.com offered six ways to survive attacks from crocodiles. First, they noted that attacks generally occur in the water or near it. Crocs are amphibious creatures and will rarely stray far from water. Contrary to popular myths, the publication also insists that when encountering a croc, the best way to escape is slowly back away and then run fast in a straight line.
They say that the weak spot on the croc is its eyes so, just like a shark, it can be life-saving to poke and gouge at the croc’s open eyes. While it is much safer to stay outside of an arm’s length from the eyes, once at close quarters that may be a person’s only hope to survive the encounter.
Of course, above all of the tips listed in that article, it is most important to practice avoidance when entering an area that may have prehistoric killers. A crocodile is generally not hoping to encounter people, so can safety can simply be achieved by keeping a watchful eye on one’s surroundings and keeping a wide berth from the water’s edge.
"*" indicates required fields