Couple Accidentally Catches Fatal Sea Animal Attack in Vacation Video

A Texas couple vacationing on the beaches of Mexico accidentally filmed the mauling death of a Canadian tourist by either a shark or a crocodile on December 14.

Marlene Luviano originally posted the harrowing footage to TikTok, which shows her and her young daughter running through the shallow surf of Quieta Beach, part of Club Med’s Ixtapa Zihuatanejo resort. In the background, almost out of focus, you can see a man thrashing in the water as he’s being pulled along by the unidentified beast.

As Luviano turns to run back into the ocean, she can hear the man screaming and quickly turns her daughter back to shore before asking her partner to cease filming.

@marlenerealtor

Presenciamos esta tragedia y considero importante informar que fue causada por un tiburón, ocurriendo cerca de las boyas, para que todos tomen precauciones necesarias. Detuve la grabación en cuanto me doy cuenta que pide ayuda, para centrar mi atención en cómo apoyar. Más tarde, al revisar el video que mi papá grababa de mi hija y de mí, noté la breve aparición del señor a lo lejos. Los siguientes segundos son del mismo video en cámara lenta y con máximo zoom, en un intento por comprender lo que se captó por coincidencia y sin intención. Lamentablemente, el señor no sobrevivió. El ataque fue muy rápido y nadie lo vió. El pudo pedir ayuda cuando ya no estaba siendo atacado, así que cuando todos volteamos al escucharlo solo lo vimos agarrado de su boya de natación, que se amarraba para nadar, agitando la mano. Es por eso que nadie imaginó la gravedad de la emergencia. A pesar de ello, cuando volteó, el guardia de seguridad ya estaba pidiendo ayuda por su radio, un turista nadó de inmediato para ayudar, mientras simultáneamente dos hombres en una lancha se acercaron. Justo antes de alcanzarlo, el señor perdió la conciencia y la persona de la lancha saltó para rescatarlo. Aunque lo llevaron rápidamente a la orilla con ayuda de la lancha por el mar, al arrastrarlo por la arena, la herida era evidente y ya no fluía sangre. Lo último que vió el señor fue toda la gente que venía a ayudarlo.

♬ original sound - Marlene Luviano

Luviano reported that by the time the man—later identified as 76-year-old Joseph Bynens—was rescued from the ocean, he had already “bled to death.” According to reports, he suffered excessive blood loss from an amputated leg.

“When they dragged him out of the sea, the wound was already very visible,” Luviano told The Daily Mail. “I noticed there was no longer any blood coming out.”

Initially, it was believed Bynens had been attacked by a shark. However officials later revised this, saying his injuries were more consistent with a crocodile attack. Bynens’ partner was also attacked by the creature, but miraculously survived. She’s currently recuperating at a local hospital.

Officials are hopeful that Luviano’s footage might help identify the creature, which they believe is also responsible for a non-fatal attack just minutes earlier. Los Angeles native Valerie Haurowitz was swimming at Playa Quieta, near the resort, around 9 am when an unidentified creature also bit her on the legs.

Navy searchers closed Playa Quieta after that incident and deployed drones to look the perpetrating animal, but to no avail. They’re continuing to look for sharks, though they’re fairly certain a crocodile is responsible. Dr. Ángel Almazán Juárez confirmed to local media that shark sightings in the region are quite rare.

In November, a crocodile was filmed roaming El Palmar beach, which is just four miles from where Dec. 14’s fatal attack occurred.

#Mexico ???????????? Crocodile captured on the beach of #Zihuatanejo.

Given the sighting of the animal, the municipal government ordered the erection of a cyclone mesh to protect bathers.#beachlife #beachvibes #AnimalLovers #Dundee pic.twitter.com/R1Q0aivtGJ

— Alexandru Judeu (@AlexandruJudeu) November 13, 2023