‘Devastating tragedy’ kills 4 rafting in Costa Rica during bachelor party
Four South Floridians were killed Saturday during a rafting trip in Costa Rica when their rafts flipped in the Naranjo River, according to friends and officials.
Miami-area friends Ernesto Sierra, Jorge Caso, Sergio Lorenzo and Andres Dennis, who were celebrating a bachelor party, were identified by Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Organization.
The local guide, Kevin Thompson Reid, was also killed.
On a GoFundMe page meant to raise money for the families of the South Florida men who died, survivor Anthony Castro writes that the outing was initially delayed for about an hour because of inclement weather — wind and rain — but then the group got the ok to begin rafting.
“Within five minutes of being out on the river, all three rafts capsized, and everyone ended up in the water,” Castro wrote.
Officials said the other nine tourists and four guides were able to climb to safety
Costa Rica has seen heavier than usual rainfall recently, causing the waters in the Naranjo River to rise.
President Carlos Alvarado expressed his “dismay” at the accident and asked authorities to help the victims’ families in any way possible.
The Judicial Investigation Department has launched an investigation into the incident.
“They all had so much life left to live as sons, brothers, fathers cousins and friends before this devastating tragedy occurred,” Castro said in the GoFundMe posting.