QCOSTARICA – Lidier Murillo Gamboa, 43, known as ‘Yiyo’, died on Tuesday, February 16, after being attacked by a crocodile in the Coto River, in the canton of Golfito, Puntarenas. The man was fishing in the water with his friend, Álvaro ‘Coyol’ Rodríguez, when the tragedy that claimed his life occurred.
According to the preliminary report, the events took place in the district of Guaycará, near the mouth of the river, at around 3:30 pm when the two men were fishing, one on land and the other in the water, when a crocodile emerged and dragged Yiyo by the limbs.
”I heard him screaming, asking for help and he called me, Coyol, help me Coyol, come, come and I ran towards him with the pommel in my hand, gave him my hand and was pulling him and a lagarto (croc) had him by the leg or arm. It (the croc) pulled him, to drown him and I grabbed him by the arm and pulled,” Álvaro told Colosal Informa.
“The lagarto was very large, I think it measures between 5 and 6 meters, it had my friend and would not let go,” said Álvaro.
With sticks beating on the animal, Álvaro was able to get the crocodile to release its grip and managed to get him out of the river and went for help.
“When we returned for Yiyo, the lagarto had him in its grips again and attacked him, it was something desperate, while Yiyo kept screaming in pain and saying I’m dead, I’m dead,” Álvaro, who once again was able to get his friend away from the croc, commented.
Álvaro stayed with his friend while the Red Cross arrived at the scene, but due to the remote location of the area, it took paramedics several hours to arrive. When they finally arrived on the scene, Murillo Gamboa had already lost his life.
Agents from Corredores office of the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) were called on the scene to remove the body and transfer it to the Judicial Complex (morgue) in San Joaquín de Flores, in Heredia.
