8-Year-Old Child Attacked, Killed By Crocodile As Parents Watched Helplessly

An 8-year-old boy was allegedly eaten alive by a crocodile when the child was visiting the Matina River in Limón, Costa Rica.

The victim has been identified as Julio Otero Fernández Jr. According to local media reports, the crocodile emerged from the river and pulled the child underwater, as his parents – Julio Otero Sr and Margini Fernández Flores – watched helplessly.

The exact date of the incident remains unclear. However, media reports about the incident came out over the weekend.

Authorities investigating the incident said they had not found the crocodile and neither the remains of the child, giving rise to speculation that the reptile may have eaten the boy.

"The hardest thing for my wife was to see our son kidnapped by a crocodile in front of our eyes. We just watched without doing anything. We couldn't continue living here. Everything reminds me of that moment," the child's father said, according to Expat Guide Turkey.

The family reportedly moved to Nicaragua due to the trauma they experienced.

Last month, a man swimming in a river in India was attacked and dragged deep into the water by a huge crocodile. The incident took place in the southern state of Karnataka. The man was in the water when the crocodile emerged and attacked him. Locals saw the man being attacked and immediately informed the police and forest department officials. "We live in constant fear. The safety of children is also endangered," locals told the media, while adding that as of October, two people lost their lives in crocodile attacks.

Several other people had also been injured in crocodile attacks in the area.

In another incident, a huge crocodile attacked and killed a 17-year-old girl, while she was grazing goats at a riverside village. The incident took place near Bhitarkanika National Park in the eastern state of Odisha. "We were grazing our goats when suddenly one of the flock entered the creek. As soon as Sila went near it to bring the goat back, a crocodile appeared from nowhere and dragged my sister into the water," the victim's sister said recalling the harrowing incident, according to the New Indian Express