Couple Accidentally Films Fatal Sea Animal Attack on Mexico Vacation

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.

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.