By Wendy Anders

A 55-year-old Costa Rican man was described by local media as being in “stable condition” after being bitten by a crocodile several times in his left leg yesterday evening at Herradura beach near Jacó along Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast.

Firefighter rescuers were called from the local Garabito station to aid just before 6:00 p.m., said Costa Rica’s Channel 7 Teletica news station.

After tending to the man and sending him to the local medical center for attention, firefighters located the animal and captured it, said news reports.

The area is a popular beach destination for Costa Ricans due to its proximity of little over an hour from the San José metropolitan area, as well as for tourists and expatriates.

No further details were available as to the circumstances surrounding the attack, nor the fate of the reptile.