Jesus Alberto Lopez Ortiz was a 29-year-old soccer player who was killed after being attacked by a crocodile in the…
Jesus Alberto ‘chucho’ (photo: IANS)
Jesus Alberto Lopez Ortiz was a 29-year-old soccer player who was killed after being attacked by a crocodile in the river in a terrible incident in Costa Rica.
Jesús “Chucho” leaves behind a wife and two children, Derian and Eithan.
López Ortiz was a midfielder who competed in the National Amateur Soccer League in Costa Rica’s third level.
Ortiz played for the amateur club team Deportivo Rio Canas. Even in the Ascenso League of Costa Rica, he had played for the group.
The team posted on Facebook to confirm Ortiz’s death.
The tragedy happened in the town of Santa Cruz in the Guanacaste province, about 140 miles from San Jose, the nation’s capital.
In the tragic incident, Ortiz jumped while exercising from a closed fishing bridge in the Canas River, despite the fact that there were crocodiles known to be present in the river.
“Unfortunately, he made a wrong decision, and by going in for a bath, what happened, happened,” said Luis Montes, his coach.
He may have drowned or given in to the pressure of the animal during the attack, according to the Spanish news agency Marca.
An online video of the horrific incident showed the crocodile swimming in the river while still holding López Ortiz’s body in its teeth. Another video showed shots being fired at the crocodile.
A spokesperson for the Costa Rican Red Cross told the Tico Times that local police shot and killed the crocodile. The soccer team urged people on Facebook not to share videos of the attack that ended their teammate’s life.
Witnesses watched in horror as a terrifying sight played out; the video showed a big beast swimming down the river carrying Ortiz’s body. The tragedy happened in the town of Santa Cruz in the Guanacaste province, about 140 miles from San Jose, the nation’s capital.
Over 1,000 people participated in López Ortiz’s funeral march on Wednesday, “representing all your friends, family, and the whole country that was there with you,” according to his team.
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