The incident happened at Marina Vallarta Beach near the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa at around 6:30 p.m., according to Jalisco state police. The man was only identified as a 28-year-old from Mexico who was in Puerto Vallarta for work.
Jamie Yetter, her fiance Chris Bury and her teenage daughter were staying at the hotel. The three were at the hotel pool when they heard screams coming from 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," Yetter told NBC Los Angeles.
Bury said he got into a kayak, paddleless, in a fast attempt to get to the man and help him.
"There were no oars. There was really nothing at the beach at all to help. We were just scrambling, trying to do what we could," Bury said. "I was on the kayak right when he got pulled under."
The victim was located in the water more than 12 hours later and was recovered early Saturday morning, Jalisco state police confirmed to NBCLA.
By Saturday morning, less than one day after the attack, people were swimming in the same ocean area with their families.
Yetter shared that there is signage leading to the beach from the hotel property advising of jellyfish, stingrays and crocodiles in the water but said her family believed the image of a crocodile was that of an iguana.
NBCLA reached out to the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa, who did not comment on the attack but is awaiting a response from its corporate office about the incident.
Friday's attack was near the same beach where two Colorado men were attacked by a crocodile in July 2022.
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