Student mauled to death by crocodile pictured as tribute paid to 'beautiful boy'

Student mauled to death by crocodile pictured as tribute paid to 'beautiful boy' Tourists watched on in horror as Irving Mauricio, 28, was torn to shreds by a 12-foot crocodile on the shores of Marina Vallarta Beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico A student who was mauled to death by a crocodile during a horror attack at a tourist resort has been remembered as a "beautiful boy". Irving Mauricio, a 28-year-old tourist from Mexico City, died in a "gruesome and graphic" attack by the 12-foot predator as he took photos on the water's edge on Marina Vallarta Beach, a picturesque stretch of sand in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. People gathered on the beach were first alerted to the shocking incident as it unfolded on Friday when they heard screams erupting from the water's edge at around 6.30pm local time as the crocodile sank its teeth into Irving's leg. The tourist ultimately died in the attack, with lifeless body discovered more than 12 hours later by emergency services. His bereaved mum has said her heart "is in pieces" as she breaks her silence following her son's death. Writing in a post on Facebook, she paid tribute to her "beautiful, loving boy", and pledged that she would stay strong for her two other children. She wrote: "My beautiful boy, Irving Mauricio, my life and my love: You have left my heart shattered, my beautiful child. Give me the strength to go on. “You have shattered my soul. My heart is in pieces, but I know I must be strong. Help me from wherever you are, because I still have your brother, Alexis, and Ross; I must go on for their sake. I will never stop loving you. If you loved me so very much, I want you to know that I love you a thousand times more, my little Irving Mauricio; that love will never end." "Rest, my love. Rest in peace, my beautiful boy. I only ask God that, when my time comes to leave this world, I may find you again and that you welcome me with that beautiful smile you always had for me. "I will love you forever, my child. You will always live in my heart." Irving's family only learned of his death after local authorities conducted a major search effort to locate him, with his body recovered at 7am on Saturday - more than 12 hours after the attack - after they hunted for a sign of the tourist through the night. His last moments were witnessed by an American couple, Jamie Yetter and her fiance Chris Bury, who said they saw "gruesome and graphic" scenes as he was "taken under by the crocodile over and over". Ms Yetter said she and her partner felt "helpless" as they watched the "massive", crocodile with a head "as long as my torso, his tail thicker than my legs” descend on Irving. Her fiance Mr Bury added: "I saw that [the victim] was kind of struggling. There was … no one around that could help save him."