Boy,8,mauled to death by Crocodile in front of horrified parents after being dragged under water

 A YOUNG boy was mauled to death by a crocodile in front of his horrified parents after being dragged underwater as he played.

Julio Otero Fernández, 8, was having fun in the Matina River in Limón, Costa Rica, when the predator dragged him to his death.

The boy was dragged into the depths of the river by a crocodile as his parents watched on in horror.

The youngster – who had been splashing around in knee-deep water – was then pulled deeper into the river as his family watched on in horror.

Julio’s body has still not yet been found and could be hidden anywhere in the area.

His distraught parents Don Julio Otero and Margini Fernández Flores said they’re now moving away to Nicaragua to stop their other four children – aged between 3 and 16 – from being attacked by the protected animal.

They have also made a desperate plea to authorities to find the crocodile and kill it.

The third grader’s dad said: “The hardest thing for my wife was seeing the crocodile float with my son’s body.”

Speaking to local media his devastated mum 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.”

She added: “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.”

Authorities are still hunting for little Julio’s body but say they have had difficulty in recent days due to heavy rain.

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.

Then on Saturday, nearly a month after the child’s gruesome death, an unidentified hunter reportedly shot and killed a crocodile in the area. When the locals cut open the beast’s stomach, they discovered inside strands of hair and bone fragments believed to belong to Julio.

The 8-year-old was killed while spending time with his parents, four siblings and other relatives during a fishing trip.

At around 2 p.m. on Oct. 30, Julio was standing in knee-deep water in the river when the large crocodile lunged at him

“It shook him (the child) and ripped off his little head,” an eyewitness described the brutal attack. “Then it grabbed him again and dragged him under.”

Julio’s parents, Don Julio Otero and Margini Fernández Flores, helplessly looked on as their son was being savaged by the reptile.

“The hardest thing for my wife was seeing the crocodile float away with my son’s body,” Otero said.

The dad said that the scaly predator resurfaced more than an hour later, still holding his child’s body in its jaws. He said that police officers who had responded to the scene refused to shoot the animal, saying they did not have the “authority” to open fire, reported the Spanish-language news outlet La Nacion.

“For my part, I feel abandoned by the authorities,” Otero said. “An animal is worth more than a human being, that’s what I’ve felt.”

The couple had relocated their family to Costa Rica from their native Nicaragua four years ago to work on a banana plantation.

The parents are now planning to move back home with their four surviving kids, between the ages 3 and 16, to keep them safe from crocodiles, which are protected animals in Costa Rica.

“I will not stay here because they protect these animals and they are capable of leaving the river to attack more people,” Flores, Julio’s mom, said.

It is unknown at this time who killed the crocodile over the weekend. The hunter fled the scene after shooting the reptile, which is a crime in the Caribbean nation.

Julio’s mother confirmed the discovery of hair and bones inside the dead crocodile’s carcass.

“The animal is dead. For me it is a great relief that they have killed it,” Flores said. “I wish they would kill them all so no family ever has to go through pain like this again.”

The human remains were handed over to the local authorities for DNA testing.