Jesús Alberto López Ortiz (4 June 1994 – 29 July 2023), was a
Costa Rican
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
.
Career
Played as a central midfielder, "Chucho" López as he was known, was considered the main player of his club, Deportivo Cañas, and one of the great revelations of Costa Rican football.
Death
On 29 July 2023, López decided to dive in the Cañas River in Guanacaste, to cool off from the heat. The footballer was devoured and his body torn apart by an
American crocodile
The American crocodile (''Crocodylus acutus'') is a species of crocodilian found in the Neotropics. It is the most widespread of the four Extant taxon, extant species of crocodiles from the Americas, with populations present from South Florida, ...
, after which his remains were taken to the horrified audience. The crocodile was later shot dead by local authorities, and his team's coach, Luis Carlos Montes, expressed regret over what happened. Jesús López's cousin also died after being eaten by a crocodile in the same river, 15 years earlier. Deportivo Cañas fans paid tribute to the athlete in the match following the incident.
See also
*
List of association football players who died during their careers
*
Man-eater
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Jesus Alberto
1994 births
2023 deaths
Sport deaths in Costa Rica
Deaths due to crocodile attacks
Men's association football midfielders
Costa Rican men's footballers
21st-century Costa Rican sportsmen