California couple describes desperate efforts to save man, 28, killed by crocodile after they heard screams coming from nearby beach while on vacation

Published: 07:15, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 07:19, 29 June 2026 A beastly crocodile killed a 28-year-old man in front of a California couple in the popular getaway spot Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The horrific attack unfolded Friday around 6.30pm near the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa. The victim, a Mexico native named Irving, was in the tourist town with friends when he was attacked and dragged into the ocean. Grainy, unsettling video showed the massive crocodile on the beach, mouth open and fangs bared as waves crashed over it. The 28-year-old’s lifeless body was recovered about 12 hours later early Saturday morning. An Orange County couple tried to rescue the struggling victim but were unsuccessful. Jamie Yetter, her fiancé Chris Bury, and her teenage daughter were staying at the resort, relaxing by the pool when they heard screams from the beach. Yetter recalled the moment she heard the 28-year-old’s cries.  Chris Bury and Jamie Yetter, a California couple, tried to save a 28-year-old man from a crocodile attack in Mexico Grainy, unsettling video showed the massive crocodile on the beach 'We thought we saw a guy stuck in a rip current, so Chris took off down to the water, and I ran right after him,' she told NBC4. The fiancé jumped into action and tried to throw a life preserver to Irving, but he was in shock and unable to reach it, ABC7 reported.  A Good Samaritan then brought a kayak to the beach, as Bury jumped into the boat without paddles in an attempt to reach and pull the victim to safety.  'There were no oars. There was really nothing at the beach at all to help,' Bury told NBC4. 'We were just scrambling, trying to do what we could,' he said. 'I was on the kayak right when he got pulled under.' The reptile clamped down on Irving’s thigh with its massive jaws, Yetter said.  'The size of this crocodile, I mean, his head was as long as my torso, his tail thicker than my legs. He was just turning him, taking him under,' she told ABC7. Despite the California family’s brave efforts, the violent crocodile killed the 28-year-old in front of them. Yetter told Surfer.com that resort staff never warned them about the dangers of the water.  'They didn’t tell anyone it was dangerous,' Yetter explained to the outlet. The mom said she noticed beach signs that warned of jellyfish and stingrays, but didn't notice an additional symbol that warned of crocodiles. She said her family initially mistook the crocodile symbol for an iguana.  The horrific attacked unfolded Friday around 6.30pm near the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa The Orange County couple tried to rescue the struggling victim but were unsuccessful Aerial view of the boardwalk in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 'They didn’t tell us we shouldn’t go swimming. Even the next morning, I went down to the ocean. I assumed the beach would be closed,' Yetter told the outlet. 'The beach wasn’t closed. There were no no-swimming signs,' she added.  The suspected crocodile was captured by police, and by Saturday morning beachgoers had already returned to the same stretch of shoreline, with families once again swimming in the water. The attack occurred near the site of a 2022 crocodile incident that injured two Colorado tourists in Jalisco. The Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa has not commented on the latest attack. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.