PUERTO VALLARTA — A 28-year-old man from Mexico City, identified as Irving Mauricio, died after being pulled into the water by a crocodile at Marina Vallarta Beach near the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa on Friday at approximately 6:30 p.m. The Mexican Navy recovered Mauricio's body on Saturday morning at approximately 7:00 a.m.

The body was found in a local waterway approximately 500 meters offshore near Bocanegra Beach, located about 2.5 kilometers south of the resort. Authorities subsequently captured a crocodile approximately 3.7 meters long near the area where the incident occurred.

Misael López Muro, the director of Civil Protection and Firefighters of Puerto Vallarta, stated that a forensic examination is being conducted to determine if the captured crocodile is connected to the attack. In response to the incident, government officials have initiated increased surveillance on beaches, estuaries, and areas identified with a higher incidence of crocodile presence. Authorities are advising visitors to observe signage, adhere to Civil Protection instructions, and avoid entering water in areas known to have crocodiles or near estuaries and canals, particularly during dawn, dusk, and nighttime hours.

Jamie Yetter, her fiancé Chris Bury, and her teenage daughter were staying at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa during the incident. Yetter said, "We thought we saw a guy stuck in a rip current, so Chris took off down to the water, and I ran right after him." Bury entered a kayak without oars in an attempt to reach the victim. "There were no oars. There was really nothing at the beach at all to help. We were just scrambling, trying to do what we could," Bury said. He added, "I was on the kayak right when he got pulled under."

The search operation for the victim utilized land, sea, and air resources. Officials stated that the presence of American crocodiles in estuaries, canals, and bodies of water along the coast is normal for the coastal ecosystem of Puerto Vallarta.