Remains believed to be of a young boy killed by a crocodile while his horrified parents watched on have been found in the stomach of the beast.
Tragic Julio Otero Fernández, 8, was dragged to the depths of Matina River in Limón, Costa Rica, in front of his shocked family as he paddled in the water.
The couple, their five children and Margini’s siblings were visiting the area on a fishing trip when tragedy struck on October 30.
Now, hair and bones belonging to the child have been discovered.
One relative said they saw the large crocodile chomp the boy’s head off before dragging his remains under the water.
Little Julio was playing knee-deep in the river when the large reptile attacked.
His parents, Don Julio Otero and Margini Fernández Flores, watched in horror as their son was dragged out of sight – never to be seen again.
The victim’s father said: “The hardest thing for my wife was seeing the crocodile float away with my son's body.”
One unnamed eyewitness said: “It shook him (the child) and ripped off his little head.
“Then it grabbed him again and dragged him under.”
Julio’s parents moved to the Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast from Nicaragua four years ago to work on a banana plantation
The couple vowed to move back to Nicaragua to make sure their other four children, aged between 16 and three years old, are safe from crocodiles, protected in neighbouring Costa Rica.
The boy’s mother said: “It is impossible to continue living in Matina because we find something that reminds us of Julito in every corner of the house. That causes us so much pain.”
She added: “I will not stay here because they protect these animals and they are capable of leaving the river to attack more people. The truth is, it’s scary that something like this will happen again.”
On 26 November, a hunter tracked the suspected predator and shot it dead before fleeing the scene as it is illegal to kill crocodiles in Costa Rica.
After the mysterious hunter killed the reptile, local residents found the croc’s body and cut it open.
According to reports, residents found human hair and bones in the croc’s stomach that is believed to belong to little Julio.
The victim’s mother confirmed that hair and two bones were found inside the animal
She said: “The crocodile was killed, I don't know who did it, but they killed it and they found part of my child's body. They found little hairs and bones. The animal is dead, for me it is a great relief that they have killed it.
“I wish they would kill them all so no family ever has to go through pain like this again.”
The human remains have been passed onto the local authorities to carry out DNA tests.
The results have yet to be announced as the investigation continues.
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