Jesús Alberto López Ortiz (4 June 1994 – 29 July 2023), was a Costa Rican professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jesús Alberto López Ortiz | ||
| Date of birth | 4 June 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Costa Rica | ||
| Date of death | 29 July 2023 (aged 29) | ||
| Place of death | Río Cañas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –2023 | Deportivo Cañas | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 February 2024 | |||
Career
editPlayed 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.[1][2][3]
Death
editOn 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, after which his remains were taken to the horrified audience.[4][5] The crocodile was later shot dead by local authorities,[6] 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.[7] Deportivo Cañas fans paid tribute to the athlete in the match following the incident.[8][3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Há 2 meses: Crocodilo mata jogador na Costa Rica e não solta o corpo". IG (in Portuguese). 9 October 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Él era "Chucho", el joven futbolista que fue víctima del trágico ataque de cocodrilo". La Teja (in Spanish). 29 July 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Costa Rica Mourns Promising Soccer Star After Crocodile Attack". The Tico Times. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Costa Rica soccer player eaten by crocodile in front of horrified onlookers". Yahoo!. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Jogador de futebol é engolido por crocodilo enquanto nadava em rio; veja o vídeo". O Tempo (in Portuguese). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "El momento en el que matan al cocodrilo que acabó con la vida del futbolista Jesús López". Antena3 (in Spanish). 3 August 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Tom Sanders (4 August 2023). "Footballer torn apart by crocodile after going for swim in infested river". metro.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Crowds honor soccer player killed by crocodile in Costa Rica". CNN. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.