A tragic incident occurred in Costa Rica when a soccer player, Jesus Alberto Lopez Ortiz, also known as ‘Chucho’, lost his life after being attacked and consumed by a crocodile while taking a dip in a river to cool off. The horrifying incident took place on July 29 in Río Cañas, Guanacaste Province, according to Daily Mail.
Disturbing images captured the father-of-two desperately fighting for his life as the crocodile carried him away in its jaws. Not too long after, the crocodile was shot and killed in the water by local residents who said they used canoes to follow the reptile and retrieve Chucho’s body.
Chucho, a member of the Deportivo Rio Cañas football (soccer) team, leaves behind two young children, ages three and eight. His grieving family is seeking public assistance to cover his funeral expenses, while his team’s manager, Luis Carlos Montes, is organizing a collection to support the victim’s family.
“We will remember you in the many facets of your sporting life as a coach, football player, and also as a family father. You will always live in our hearts Chucho, fly high friend,”
his team wrote in a social media post.
Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and Energy strictly prohibits the hunting or killing of protected animals like crocodiles, according to the outlet. Whether authorities will investigate the decision of residents to kill the crocodile in order to recover the victim’s body remains uncertain.
“It should be clarified that all efforts were made to rescue the body of the deceased person without causing damage to the reptile, which was not possible,”
local police said in a statement.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
