Four American tourists from South Florida and a Costa Rican guide were killed in a weekend rafting accident in the Central American country, authorities said Sunday.
The men from Miami were identified as Ernesto Sierra, Jorge Caso, Sergio Lorenzo and Andres Denis. They were in Costa Rica for a bachelor party.
Three rafts flipped on the Naranjo River Saturday around 3 p.m. and the five victims were carried away downstream, according to Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Organism.
Other passengers managed to cling to the rafts and some were rescued by another guide in a kayak.
The local guide who was killed, Kevin Thompson Reid, was described by his boss as one of his most-skilled guides.
In total, there were 14 tourists aboard the rafts and five guides, officials said.
Authorities said the river was swollen by rains and the National Emergency Commission maintained an alert in the area due to the possibility of flooding.
The Americans arrived in Costa Rica on Oct. 18 and had been renting a house in Playa Hermosa de Jaco, according to the Costa Rican government.
The Red Cross said via Facebook that the rafts overturned near Liverpool de Quepos.
Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado expressed his dismay about the accident on Twitter.
Expreso mi profunda consternación por el accidente ocurrido esta tarde en el río Naranjo en Quepos. pic.twitter.com/r9HMW6SpjY
— Carlos Alvarado Q. (@CarlosAlvQ) October 21, 2018
The U.S. Department of State confirmed the deaths.
"We are saddened by news of rafting accident in #CostaRica. We can confirm 4 U.S. citizens died as a result of the accident. We extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, and extend our gratitude to Government of Costa Rica for their support in this tragedy," U.S. Department of State spokesman Heather Nauert wrote on Twitter.
We are saddened by news of rafting accident in #CostaRica. We can confirm 4 U.S. citizens died as a result of the accident. We extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, and extend our gratitude to Government of Costa Rica for their support in this tragedy.
— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) October 21, 2018
Courtesy of our news partner at NBC Miami
