Kianas friends have set upa GoFundMe page to help raise funds for the teenagers medical expenses and recovery. Hummel and her family think that Marriott should have done more to warn guests about the potential threat of crocodiles. So American, we are Americans and therefore the world revolves around us and signs must have neon borders, in bright colored print, in English, with diagrams or we will sue. Melissa Laurie, 28, was swimming in a lagoon at night with her twin sister Georgia on a beach located about 10 miles from the city of Puerto Escondido, a popular surf resort with British tourists, when the crocodile attacked, grabbing Melissa and dragged her under the water. Rivers run into the Ocean, so it makes perfect sense that they'd also be in the ocean close to the shore. She was going to go for a late night swim (just before midnight), when she was attacked by a 12-foot crocodile. Kiana Hummel, 18, was. Bottom line. Who in their right freaking mind goes swimming at midnight!!! WHO THE HELL GOES INTO THE BEACH LATE AT NIGHT?? California woman attacked by crocodile at Mexico resort. Regardless if we decide to victim blame here, the moment she was injured the hotel's primary responsibility should have been to make sure she got medical attention. "biting her left angle" Most resorts do post signs about the crocks, but most people ignore them, perhaps thinking it is a joke (?). Do some research first and educate your children that the sea is not a pool. On Wednesday, March 8th at 4 pm, Enrique de Allende will present a performance of English and Spanish favorites, accompanied by pianists Mark Hartman and Brett Rowe. Saltwater crocodiles are giant and deadlyavoid them. I'm going to Marriot Vallarta in some weeks time and it's in the middle of a quite huge city. The civil defense office in the western state of Jalisco said Wednesday the first American suffered bites to his legs, arm, abdomen, and chest. It is a wonderful bay with gorgeous sandy beaches all around! A Northern California woman barely escaped with her life after a crocodile bit her leg and wouldn't let go at a Mexican resort, she said Tuesday. This story about what happened at a hotel in Mexico is downright awful, though I suppose it could have ended worse. Our staff is trained in how to respond to safety matters appropriately. "After about 30 seconds of re-evaluating the situation, we all decided we needed to start throwing things at it. I just remember saying please dont leave me, Hummel said, adding, And I didnt think I was going to come out that second time. "It was really a tug-of-war. Miraculously, she survived and didn't lose any limbs, although she does have extensive muscle and tissue damage all the way to the bones and is currently unable to walk. That being said, staff allegedly doing makeshift at best wound care and then not immediately calling an ambulance seems like aggravated negligence. and not closing the beach at night (how would that even work? Good fing luck suing in Mexico and stay the f home if you can't deal with foreign languages or use common sense. A saltwater croc can weigh more than 2,000 pounds and launch itself with its tail. To be 100% safe, just stay in the beautiful pool areas that the hotels have, or take a boat tour for an incredible view of Bahia de Banderas and the beautiful nature that surrounds it..and keep your feet out of the water! "I'm mostly going to recover from all of this with time," she said. Crazy stuff happens especially on vacation. Just for some perspective, the Marriot is relatively close to the Ameca River outlet and 2 km . Crocks have also been spotted recently in the ocean at Los Muertes beach in old town in broad daylight. Brains anyone? Really? I'm thinking I'm not the "entitled" on here. In case people still doesn't get it, it is dangerous to swim at night, period. I do believe youre one of those people who think and act like they know it all. This is a perfect example of the need for emergency evacuation insurance with a medical benefit. Hummel told ABC7 that they hadnt even entered the water when the crocodile emerged, grabbed her by the right leg, and pushed her into the water. Everybody is so afraid of lawsuits that all risk is removed from life. Kiana Hummel was enjoying her. If the other party does not warn you many automatically assume they should be responsible for not warning or telling you. Its never miles and miles out in the open ocean. And these resorts have plenty of English staff, so they knew she wanted an ambulance. That was just really bad., Meanwhile, bystander Sarah Laney, who heard Kianas screams, told the outlet: It was most definitely one of the craziest, scariest things Ive ever experienced. However there might be a case in regards to the delay in her getting an ambulance. I'm in the process of investigating at least one report from another witness that contradicts (apparently) the length of time the ambulance took. Melissa and Georgia Laurie, 28, were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido . A recent crocodile attack in Puerto Vallarta was in July 2021 when a river crocodile attacked an 18-year-old guest at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta, shortly before going on a nighttime swim. Assuming she gets into an American court and the hotel's assumption the risk defense is unavailing, then she could collect some damages. We spoke to both Kiana and a bystander who witnessed the attack. RELATED: Crocodile scares group of tourists posing for photo, "It was most definitely one of the craziest, scariest things I've ever experienced," Laney said. I did not see a picture of the crocodile. It must be something that has developed after I left Vallarta in July 1988! Kerstin Sachl, a spokeswoman for Marriott properties of the Caribbean and Latin America, said: "We are aware of the incident. Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. It's an ocean. A hospital trip there can be pricey. President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obradors testy comments came after U.S. officials took note of heated public debate in Mexico over Lpez Obradors recently approved electoral reforms, which critics allege could weaken Mexicos democracy. Yeah, a not very intelligent girl decided to do a not very sensible thing. It is still and independent country with its own language. Anyone should call not just wait for the hotel either. The sign may have been mostly in spanish but i bet it had a picture of a crocodile that made it pretty clear. Sad. I see your point, but logic also suggests that any signage would reflect the most commonly spoken languages among their clientele. Never heard about the existence of crocodiles in Puerto Vallarta! A woman who saved her twin sister from a crocodile reportedly punched the animal in the head to get her sibling to . Have you seen the bill? Nature is typically always trying to kill you. What a "croc" swimming that late at night. Im less concerned about the responsibility of Marriott in terms of warning about swimming; there are always risks associated with open water swimming. The attack happened just before midnight at the Marriott resort in Puerto Vallarta. MARIN COUNTY, California -- What was supposed to be a relaxing getaway before starting college this fall turned into a real life nightmare for California 18-year-old Kiana Hummel, who was attacked by a 12-foot-long crocodile while vacationing in Mexico with a friend earlier this month. Please stop. I could be wrong, but I believe that to be the case. I don't. Marriott and the hotel have absolutely no responsibility here. Saw one sunning on the rocks! Again they where NOT in the water and no signs I see in the photos I have. It would have definitely been more expensive in the US, or would have not been admitted at all without insurance. The criticism of Marriott seems to be (1) the sign and (2) time it took to get an ambulance. Regardless if we decide to victim blame here, the moment she was injured the hotel's primary responsibility should have been to make sure she got medical attention. A 12-foot crocodile nearly killed a vacationing teacher in Mexico. Don't assume someone else will. I see nothing wrong with this logic. Melissa Laurie, 28, was swimming in a lagoon at night with her twin sister Georgia on a beach located about 10 miles from the city of Puerto Escondido, a popular surf resort with British tourists, when the crocodile attacked, grabbing Melissa and dragged her under the water. The "liability/risk management" calculation: attacks are rare (unheard of during the day), signs are posted, if a guest takes a reckless risk, most people will be sympathetic, but won't blame the resort. Why is the default reaction to assign blame? We live in a time where we as individuals are never accountable for our acts. While going for a late-night swim in Puerto Vallarta, it didn't take long for Kiana Hummel to encounter trouble in the form of a 12-foot crocodile. You want to blame Marriott for that!! February 23, 2023 Puerto Vallarta Articles, . If you watched the video, the expert says its an American crocodile. As for (2), I find Marriotts reported hesitancy concerning, but did none of the bystanders have their phones? We lived in Puerto Vallarta for a while in the marina area (where the Marriott is located). In case people still doesn't get it, it is dangerous to swim at night, period. This long road to recovery beats what could have been any number of devastating alternatives, her mother Ariana Martinez said. (In Spanish because in panic you could do that when Spanish is your first language) Extremely reckless to enter the ocean in the night, in an area close to a crocodile viewing spot. With crocodiles now being in the mix too, Im going to be staying even further away from the ocean, at least in areas near rivers and crocodile reserves. Should not have been in the sea at night where crocodiles are present, no fault of the hotel at all and basic common sense. Doctors say she will have a full recovery, but it will take time. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. Aren't all of the signs in Miami only in Spanish too ? I heard about the attack at the pool, from a large group that was vacationing there. Laney, who stayed with Hummel after the attack, said it took 45 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. Kiana Hummel was enjoying her. I am surprised by the callousness of the comments - it was a young 18-year old who should not be expected to be aware of that, particularly if there were no clear warnings in english. Martinez said the hospital asked them to pay thousands of dollars before receiving any treatment. and not lit up at night (!!!) The vacationing California 18-year-old. I understand the company wants to be careful with how it phrases things for legal reasons, but thats one of the most callous statements Ive ever seen from a company for an incident like this. So American, we are Americans and therefore the world revolves around us and signs must have neon borders, in bright colored print, in English, with diagrams or we will sue. You can easily spot them even on the Marina Golf Course and some golfers even get close to them to check them out or to take their photo. I was in Port Douglas a few years ago and a tourist woman got killed by a croc by jumping in the water at night the day before we got there. As for (1), English might be helpful, but that picture of a croc that is clearly on the sign would have more effect on me than words. Be Careful digging in the sand on the beach. "We were throwing shoes. I live very close to Cape Cod which is the Great White capital from June-October due to several factors, a primary one being the seals they feast on. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. MEXICO CITY (AP) Two U.S. tourists were injured by a crocodile at Mexico's Puerto Vallarta resort . You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Midnight swimming in a foreign country seems pretty unwise to me. They said he took a picture of the crocodile. Hummel described the attack from her hospital bed. Im embarrassed for you. But, we all should probably check our health insurance or any other insurance when traveling to Mexico. Since I was 4 years old I knew swimming in an ocean at dark is asking for trouble! The nerve! document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Absolutely no one should ever go swimming at night, in an unfamiliar resort. Maybe its a regional thing but I know a whole lot of people who goes moonlight swimming for decades now. pic.twitter.com/I0wlypqdmC. Luckily for Marriott, Mexico's tort laws are nothing like America's, so I can't imagine any lawsuit succeeding (nor can I imagine any valid basis to bring in the US instead). Last September, a 30-year-old tourist was reportedly bitten on. ", "The safety and security of our guests and associates are our top priority, and we can confirm that appropriate signage, as well as night patrolling and red flags were and are properly in place," she said in a statement. Not only are their normal signs, but also plenty of signs to keep an eye on your pets. The entire Mexican Pacific coast is crocodile habitat, and as tragic as this situation is, nearly all of the blame lies with the victim who foolishly went swimming at midnight in crocodile habitat. A TEEN is lucky to be alive after she fought off a 12-foot-long crocodile while swimming in Mexico. The teen is expected to make a full recovery, though it'll be a long journey to get to that point. Instead she was sitting on sand with a friend hanging out. The Madness of Crowds. Multiple hotels share same beach on both sides. We were throwing rocks. Even if she gets into an American court, it would still apply Mexican tort law, not California law, since the accident occurred there. She remains hospitalized, though is now back in the United States. There's a simple reason for this: crocodiles rarely attack humans. Most attacks occur near or in the water. Hummel said she remained calm even as she got dragged under the water. Hummel wants to major in kinesiology with hopes of becoming an occupational therapist someday, meaning these upcoming weeks in the hospital will amount to a measure of unwanted training. TikTok "And I didn't think I was getting out that second time.. Jami Tarris/Getty Images. That forced it to finally let go, and Hummel was taken away to safety. Hummel recalled how determined the creature was. Going for a swim in PV during the middle of the night is just not on the common sense list anyway. @Patti: exactly. It is is very inexpensive and is included with most travel insurance policies. Lool, the sign is in Spanish (in Mexico!!!) @marcusmoore has more. Common sense seems to be an exceedingly rare virtue these days.. That makes no sense. Personally I wouldnt visit that resort now that I know a croc can jump out of ocean any time. What was supposed to be a relaxing getaway before starting college this fall, turned into a real life nightmare for 18-year-old Kiana Hummel. All Rights Reserved. Theres also an English tourist police number. People should learn Spanish. We can confirm that the proper signage, as well as night patrols and flags, were and are correctly placed. Most closer to shore are reef or benign types of sharks not interested in humans. Laney, who was in Mexico to celebrate her completion of chemotherapy, said she shudders to think what would have happened had Hummel been alone that night or if the wood-wielding employee hadn't shown up. "That call could have been a totally different call.". Jul 29, 2021, 5:00 AM. My Market Kitchen I stayed at this hotel recently. I agree with James here that any alleged delay in calling an ambulance is troubling as an artery could have bled out, etc. In the US you would never get the chance. You just have no clue about anything you post. The teen got attacked by a 12-foot crocodile when she and her friend decided to go for a late-night swim at the Marriott resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 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