Costa Rican Soccer Player Killed by Crocodile After Jumping into River

A soccer player in Costa Rica was killed by a crocodile last week after jumping off a bridge into waters known to be infested with the killer reptiles.

Jesus ‘Chucho’ Lopez Ortiz, 29, who played for the local Deportivo Río Cañas soccer club, jumped off a bridge into the Cañas River on July 29. At the time, the river had been closed to tourists and fishing due to the large number of crocodiles in the water.

According to Costa Rican newspaper The Tico Times, witnesses state that Ortiz jumped into the water and was later seen being carried through the water by a large crocodile who had the player in his jaws. A highly disturbing video of the incident was widely circulated on social media. The player’s team and family have asked for the video to be taken down.

“Please respect the family’s pain and do not upload videos of what happened, and if you have uploaded them, please take them down, as there are children, a mother, a father, brothers and Jesús’ wife who deserve respect,” the team wrote on Facebook.

 

The team also noted that more than a thousand people attended their former player’s funeral procession.

“Today we said goodbye to you Chucho, today around a thousand people we accompany you representing all your friends, family and the whole country that was with you. Thank you all on behalf of the Lopez Ortiz family, on behalf of the mothers of their children, on behalf of all the people of Rio Cañas (New and Old) but mainly thanks to all on behalf of their children Derian and Eithan, thanks to all the country who helped this family, simply thank you for everything.”

Police eventually shot the reptile and retrieved Ortiz’s body.

According to the BBC, crocodile attacks are responsible for 1,000 human deaths every year.