Canadian Tourist’s Story Of Mexican Crocodile Attack Not True
Posted October 2, 2009 10:27 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was another harrowing story about a Canadian tourist’s ordeal in Mexico: kidnapped, forced to fight, shot and dumped into water where he was attacked by crocodiles.
The only problem is the tale the 20-year-old Richmond, B.C., man told his family this week isn’t true, RCMP say.
The Mounties checked out the unidentified man’s story with Mexican authorities and a got far different picture, Cpl. Jennifer Pound said Thursday.
She said the Canadian was vacationing in Cancun when he tried to use a lagoon as a urinal despite signs in English and Spanish warning about crocodiles in the water.
Pound said the man was apparently bitten on the leg, causing him to fall on the rocks in the water and hurt himself. He also received more bites from the 30-centimetre (foot-long) crocodiles in the incident, which happened on Tuesday.
Pound said the young man received basic first aid at a hospital but refused further treatment and now is back home.
She said the RCMP made inquiries after the man’s story was reported in the media. Some stories identified him as American.
“The details of this story were troubling from the beginning,” she said.
“It was absolutely necessary to get to the bottom of it in order to advise the public of a more truthful depiction of events.”
“These kinds of false accusations can be detrimental to a country such as Mexico, that thrive on tourism. If tourists are too scared to travel because of false information, than we are doing that country a disservice if we don’t seek clarification.”
Pound said alcohol was a factor in the incident and the man is not facing any charges.
