Boy, 8, was dragged under the water and mauled to death by a crocodile

Julio Otero Fernández, pictured, was visiting the Matina River in Limón, Costa Rica near his home and paddling in shallow, knee level water. The reptile took him further into the water and tragically mauled him to death

An eight-year-old boy was killed by a crocodile that dragged him under the water while his horrified parents watched on.

Julio Otero Fernández was visiting the Matina River in Limón, Costa Rica near his home and paddling in shallow, knee level water. 

The reptile took him further into the water and tragically mauled him to death. 

His body has still not been found by authorities, who have had difficulties searching in recent days due to heavy rain.

Parents Don Julio and Margini Fernández Flores plan to move away to Nicaragua in a bid to protect their other four children- aged between 3 and 16.

Heartbroken Don Julio and Margini have also begged authorities to find and sacrifice the reptile.   

The eight-year-old's dad said:  'The hardest thing for my wife was seeing the crocodile float with my son's body.'

Parents Don Julio, pictured, and Margini Fernández Flores plan to move away to Nicaragua in a bid to protect their other four children- aged between 3 and 16

His mom said:  'It is impossible to continue living in Matina because in every corner of the house we find something that reminds us of Julito, that causes us a lot of pain.

'We can't be here, because we spend every time remembering how nice it was to have him here with us.

'It is very difficult for us, so we are going to have to get out of here.

'I am not going to stay here, because just as they protect those animals, they are capable of leaving the river to attack more people and the truth is that it is scary that something like this will happen again.

'My other children act strong, but one realises that they are sad.

'Whenever we remember what happened, it is impossible not to shed tears.'

Heartbroken Don Julio and Margini have also begged authorities to find and sacrifice the reptile

Tatiana Díaz, regional director of the Limón Red Cross said: 'One hypothesis is that the animal took the child to the burrow or cave and there are burrows and caves but we don't know which one of them it is, we have tried to cover and visualize some, we have implemented a hook with a strip to see if it pulls something, but to no avail.

'Since we don't know which cave it is, or which crocodile because there are several, it's very difficult to focus on a single point.

'We know that there are crocodiles and burrows, but we don't have a notion or a pattern to work on.'

It's the latest terrifying crocodile attack and comes after a drunken man was nearly dragged into a lagoon in the Gulf state of Tabasco in June after he attacked a reptile's egg nest.

Also in June, a woman was killed while she was reportedly washing clothes by the shore at the same Tampico lagoon. 

Shocked onlookers saw the crocodile swimming with the woman's dead body in its jaws.  

In October 2020, a crocodile chased a man swimming in the lagoon before pulling him underwater and killing him. 

The unnamed man, believed to be in his 50s or 60, reportedly ignored a sign warning people not to swim in the area.