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28-year-old man from Mexico City died Friday evening (June 26, 2026), after being attacked by a crocodile near Marina Vallarta Beach, according to the Jalisco State Civil Protection agency and multiple local media reports.
According to Jalisco authorities, the attack occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m. June 26, 2026, near the beach adjacent to the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa. Officials said the man was pulled into the water by a crocodile before bystanders and emergency responders could reach him. His body was recovered the following morning near the Boca Negra estuary after an overnight search involving state authorities and the Mexican Navy.
Authorities have not officially released the victim’s identity. However, local media outlets, including Infobae México, reported the man was a 28-year-old visitor from Mexico City who was vacationing with friends. International media, including People magazine, identified him only by his first name, citing local authorities, but that information has not been independently confirmed by the Jalisco government.
Witnesses interviewed by NBC Los Angeles and CBS Los Angeles said they initially believed the man had been caught in a rip current before realizing a crocodile was pulling him underwater. Among those witnesses were California residents Jamie Yetter and Chris Bury, who were staying at the Marriott resort. The couple told NBC Los Angeles they rushed from the hotel pool after hearing screams and attempted to rescue the victim using a kayak and a life preserver, but the crocodile dragged the man underwater before they could reach him.
A 2010 peer-reviewed article by University of Guadalajara herpetologist Fabio Cupul-Magaña and other researchers documented five nonfatal crocodile attacks in the Puerto Vallarta region between 2007 and 2010. Four involved amputations, and one involved arm wounds. The study said those five cases brought the known number of American crocodile attacks on the Jalisco coast over 52 years to between 30 and 31.
The same study said documented conflict zones included the Marina Vallarta golf course, the Ameca River area, Boca de Tomates, Boca Negra and, historically, Estero El Salado.
In July 2021, Kiana Hummel, an 18-year-old tourist from California, was attacked by a crocodile while swimming at night near the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, according to ABC7 and other U.S. reports.
In July 2022, two tourists from Colorado were injured by a crocodile near Playa Bocanegra after one entered the water at night near an estuary and the other tried to help, El Financiero reported.
Following the attack, Jalisco Civil Protection described the incident as “lamentable, unusual and isolated.” The agency announced increased patrols in Marina Vallarta and other coastal areas where crocodiles are known to travel during the rainy season, when higher water levels connect rivers, estuaries and canals to the ocean. Officials urged residents and visitors to avoid swimming near river mouths and estuaries and to obey posted wildlife warnings.
Although fatal crocodile attacks in Puerto Vallarta are rare, they are not unprecedented.
According to local news reports and previous coverage, two tourists from Colorado were injured in separate crocodile attacks near Playa Boca Negra in July 2022 after entering the water at night. In 2021, an 18-year-old U.S. tourist survived a crocodile attack near the same area after swimming near the Marriott resort.
Wildlife experts have long warned that Puerto Vallarta’s coastline overlaps with habitat used by American crocodiles. Researchers with the University of Guadalajara have said the reptiles routinely move between El Salado Estuary, the Ameca River, Marina Vallarta canals and nearby beaches, particularly during the summer rainy season. They advise people to stay away from river mouths and estuaries, never feed or approach crocodiles, keep pets and children away from the water’s edge, and avoid swimming at dawn, dusk or after dark when crocodiles are most active.
The Jalisco government said crocodiles are part of Puerto Vallarta’s coastal ecosystem and move through estuaries, canals and coastal bodies of water. The state said the rainy season increases water levels, connecting estuaries, rivers and canals and allowing crocodiles to move more easily toward beaches.
Jalisco authorities urged residents and visitors to respect warning signs, follow Civil Protection instructions, avoid entering water where crocodiles are present or near estuaries and canals, and use particular caution at dawn, dusk and night.
The University of Guadalajara has warned that all of Puerto Vallarta is a transit zone for crocodiles because urban growth has reduced wetlands and former movement corridors, forcing crocodiles to move through the ocean or urban areas.
Researchers also recommend keeping children and pets away from water in crocodile areas, avoiding swimming in murky or risky waters, never feeding crocodiles and reporting conflicts to municipal ecology offices, Civil Protection, firefighters or environmental authorities.
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