U.S Surfer loses his leg but survives Crocodile attack after his friend fought it off with his bare hands in Costa Rica
An American surfer who had part of his right leg amputated after he was attacked by a large crocodile in Costa Rica was able to escape because his friend fought the reptile off with his hands.
Local media named the man as 59-year-old John Becker, and said he was attacked while crossing the river between Playa Grande and Tamarindo in Costa Rica about 7am on Friday.
Becker escaped the crocodile and make his way to shore, where he collapsed due to the large amount of blood he had lost, according to the Tico Times.
In addition to the those suffered to his right leg that caused the amputation, he also had minor injuries to his face.
It reportedly took about 40 minutes for an ambulance to reach Becker and transfer him to hospital.
Tamarindo is a town in the country's north-west and is often visited by surfers and eco-tourists.
Dramatics photographs taken show the moment Becker dragged himself out of the water, before collapsing flat on his back on the sand.
People quickly rush over to him and offer their assistance, with one person putting Becker's surfboard behind his head to use as a pillow.
About a dozen more surfers and beachgoers then gather by his side to offer assistance, before one man appeared to tie a rope around the 59-year-old's right leg - slightly above his knee.
Two lifeguards and a police officer were also seen sprinting towards the American.
Seven men are then pictured carrying Becker on a stretcher off the beach and to an ambulance that was parked nearby.
Pat McNulty, who works as a consultant and is a certified trained lifeguard in the area, said the man was crossing a river with the friend when the crocodile struck.
'It was a vicious attack, and he was bitten several times in the leg as well as the head,' McNulty said.
'They were able to get him free, swim him to safety and then trained lifeguards responded ... and we administered first aid and called an ambulance.'
McNulty said he accompanied the victim, who remained lucid after the attack, to Liberia, the provincial capital, where he underwent surgery.
'His friend saved his life ... and then we the lifeguards helped keep him alive,' McNulty said.
'It was a very traumatic scene, and all individuals attending him did a tremendous job.'
McNulty said he was familiar with the man before the attack because Tamarindo is a small town where everyone knows everyone else.
He declined to identify him publicly by name but described him as a surfer from Colorado who maintains a residence in the village. Family members were traveling to be with him.
The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica said in a statement that it was aware of the case and that consular officers help U.S. citizens when they are injured overseas, but declined to comment further citing privacy considerations.
Community, wildlife and tourism officials met after Friday's attack to consider strategies for relocating crocodiles and making sure there's proper signage to keep people safe.
McNulty said a few months ago there was a 'minor incident' in which a smaller croc bit a person.
'We live in a country where there's large crocodiles, and people take for granted that when you go into a river that you're safe,' the lifeguard said. 'But the fact of the matter is that you need to be aware of your environment. ... We're in their world.'
Local media named the man as 59-year-old John Becker, and said he was attacked while crossing the river between Playa Grande and Tamarindo in Costa Rica about 7am on Friday.
Becker escaped the crocodile and make his way to shore, where he collapsed due to the large amount of blood he had lost, according to the Tico Times.
In addition to the those suffered to his right leg that caused the amputation, he also had minor injuries to his face.
It reportedly took about 40 minutes for an ambulance to reach Becker and transfer him to hospital.
Tamarindo is a town in the country's north-west and is often visited by surfers and eco-tourists.
Dramatics photographs taken show the moment Becker dragged himself out of the water, before collapsing flat on his back on the sand.
People quickly rush over to him and offer their assistance, with one person putting Becker's surfboard behind his head to use as a pillow.
About a dozen more surfers and beachgoers then gather by his side to offer assistance, before one man appeared to tie a rope around the 59-year-old's right leg - slightly above his knee.
Two lifeguards and a police officer were also seen sprinting towards the American.
Seven men are then pictured carrying Becker on a stretcher off the beach and to an ambulance that was parked nearby.
Pat McNulty, who works as a consultant and is a certified trained lifeguard in the area, said the man was crossing a river with the friend when the crocodile struck.
'It was a vicious attack, and he was bitten several times in the leg as well as the head,' McNulty said.
'They were able to get him free, swim him to safety and then trained lifeguards responded ... and we administered first aid and called an ambulance.'
McNulty said he accompanied the victim, who remained lucid after the attack, to Liberia, the provincial capital, where he underwent surgery.
'His friend saved his life ... and then we the lifeguards helped keep him alive,' McNulty said.
'It was a very traumatic scene, and all individuals attending him did a tremendous job.'
McNulty said he was familiar with the man before the attack because Tamarindo is a small town where everyone knows everyone else.
He declined to identify him publicly by name but described him as a surfer from Colorado who maintains a residence in the village. Family members were traveling to be with him.
The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica said in a statement that it was aware of the case and that consular officers help U.S. citizens when they are injured overseas, but declined to comment further citing privacy considerations.
Community, wildlife and tourism officials met after Friday's attack to consider strategies for relocating crocodiles and making sure there's proper signage to keep people safe.
McNulty said a few months ago there was a 'minor incident' in which a smaller croc bit a person.
'We live in a country where there's large crocodiles, and people take for granted that when you go into a river that you're safe,' the lifeguard said. 'But the fact of the matter is that you need to be aware of your environment. ... We're in their world.'
Music: "Master Disorder" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Source: DailyMail, TicoTimes, Teletica, Qcostarica
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