A witness who heard the screams of 18-year-old Kiana Hummel as the Bay Area girl was being viciously attacked by a 12-foot crocodile at a Marriott resort in Mexico last week wrote a rather scathing TripAdvisor review of the hotel—with a rating caveat for the ages that explained why the place was being awarded a single star.
“The room was clean, although had a bit of a moldy smell. The food and staff were absolutely excellent, although I wish there were more dinner options available on site. Based on those items alone I would’ve highly recommended this hotel. however and this is a HUGE however, the only deterring factor for my not recommending to others is the fact that my group of friends RESCUED a young girl from a 12 ft+ CROCODILE,” the guest wrote, going on to criticize Marriott for not warning of the danger.
“I know you have ‘signs’ but you need MORE. There needs to be a rope or a gate to close off the beach at night, it is not safe at all. One guy strolling the beach with a wimpy dim flashlight is unacceptable, there should be at least two patrollers.”
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Hummel was at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa on a vacation with friends when she said she felt a pulling sensation on her leg while she took a midnight swim at the hotel’s private beach on the Pacific Ocean. She looked down to find a 12-foot crocodile gnawing her shin. “I felt heaviness on my leg, I looked down, and I feel myself getting pulled,” Hummel told ABC7 News. “I was just hitting him wherever I could.”
She got the croc to release one leg by hitting it, but the beast quickly clamped onto her other ankle as she screamed and struggled to get loose, according to the SFGate news site.
The TripAdvisor reviewer’s account, however, adds far more missing detail. “Had my group not been sitting on the patio near the beach that poor girl would’ve DIED. Literally, our group pulled this girl and her friend from the crocodiles mouth, after she was drug into the water by this monster,” the reviewer, using the handle nataliea135 wrote. “Then my friends were spearheading the trauma to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet and demanding an ambulance. I understand you don’t want to “scare” guests, but the following day there should’ve been big YELLOW signs to warn of the attack. Plus, they didn’t want to call an ambulance which is absolutely insane. My group is TRAUMATIZED by this experience. That crocodile is a monster and will be back on your beaches until he gets what he wants, do something about it before you kill one of your guests.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Marriott hotel to confirm whether they did not want to call an ambulance. Fred Ruiz of the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa did respond to the review on TripAdvisor, clearly chuffed she liked the food, but equally sorry about the blood. “Thank you for taking the time for sharing your review. While we are pleased to learn that our food and services were excellent, we apologize for the unpleasant experience you had during your stay with us,” Ruiz wrote.
Meanwhile, Hummel’s friends have set up a GoFundMe site to help pay for her surgeries, recovery, and assistance once she returns home.
Marriott issued a statement to ABC News that acknowledged the incident. “The safety and security of our guests and associates are our top priority, and we can confirm that appropriate signage, as well as night patrolling and red flags were and are properly in place,” it read. “We review our plans and procedures often and work closely with the appropriate authorities on an ongoing basis. Our staff is trained in how to respond to safety matters appropriately. We encourage all guests to be vigilant for their safety.”
Hummel told ABC 7 news that she feared for her life when the crocodile bit her ankle after she freed her other leg. She is expected to make a full recovery.
“I didn’t think I was getting out that second time,” Hummel told the network. “That was just really bad.”
Read it at S.F. Gate
