Forensic agents from the Office of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ) in Costa Rica are currently investigating the apparent drowning of a man in Playa Samara, one of the Gold Coast beaches of the Guanacaste province. According to a late-night news report published by daily tabloid Diario Extra on Sunday, the preliminary forensic report indicates that the man is from the United States; however, no further information was provided at this time.

The OIJ agents transported the body of the man to the medical examiner’s office while officers from Fuerza Publica, the national police force of Costa Rica, interviewed witnesses and looked for people who may have been familiar with the deceased; this is how his nationality was ascertained. It has not been revealed whether he was an expat or a tourist.

Two vacationers who were at the beach this weekend mentioned that they had seen the man in the surf during the daytime; however, they became concerned that they did not see him return after a few hours. These two witnesses alerted emergency officials about the man’s disappearance; at this time, OIJ agents are waiting for people whom they have previously contacted to identify the decedent.

Locals interviewed by Fuerza Publica officers indicated that rip current conditions were quite strong at Playa Samara this weekend, which is unusual for this stretch of coastline in Guanacaste; in fact, Playa Samara is often considered to be among the safest of the Gold Coast beaches in terms of surf conditions, which are much calmer than in nearby Playa Nosara and Playa Guiones.