Anthony Abendaño Carmona, 28, tragically lost his life after the boat he was traveling in with three other police officers overturned in the Sirena River, in the Corcovado National Park. Carmona and his colleagues were in the midst of an operation in the area. According to his brother, the fatal accident was caused by a crocodile.
“Apparently, they tried to dodge a crocodile, and while the others fell into the water, my brother, who was a good swimmer, tried to help. He helped the others but then never resurfaced,” said Abendaño’s brother.
Officer Guillermo Solano, who witnessed the tragedy, explained that several officers were at the scene but split into two groups to cross the river. After helping one group across, an officer returned to pick up the rest. That was when the tragedy unfolded.
Solano said he could only watch helplessly as events unfolded. He added that the boat might have been too old and overloaded, leading to its capsizing.
Officer Solano described the 28-year-old officer as a great swimmer. However, during the accident, one officer panicked, as he wasn’t confident in the water. Anthony, who was swimming back to the boat, turned around and helped his colleague to safety.
As narrated by Solano, terror struck when the officers noticed a crocodile swimming nearby. “One of the officers shouted, ‘A crocodile! A crocodile!’ and we saw it rise out of the water—it was huge! I’d estimate it was about four meters long,” Solano recalled.
The officers attempted to scare the crocodile, but in the chaos, they lost sight of Anthony, who disappeared. After an overnight search, his body was found 15 hours later, at around 5:00 a.m. the next day.
Anthony’s brother said he had always dreamed of becoming a police officer and help others. “Ever since he was a teenager, he wanted to serve others” his brother shared. His family and friends will remember him as a noble, hardworking, and kind person, always willing to help others. They expressed he died a hero.
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