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GoFundMe / Costa Rica: tragedy of rafting
The group of 14 friends went to Costa Rica for a party between singles
Four Americans and their local guide died during a rafting trip to Costa Rica were identified.
The Americans, all from Miami, Florida, were part of a group of 14 friends who traveled to the Central American nation for a bachelor party.
In a statement, the survivors said, "What must have been an unforgettable weekend for 14 friends has turned into a nightmare."
Costa Rican authorities are investigating the travel agency that initiated the trip.
The Judicial Investigation Organization in Costa Rica has identified victims of Saturday's accident as being Ernesto Sierra, Jorge Caso, Sergio Lorenzo and Dennis Andres.
The government agency added that all men were residents of Florida aged 25 to 35 years.
The local guide has been identified as Kevin Thompson Reid.
"A living nightmare"
According to a GoFundMe page created by the survivors – some of whom have been friends since high school – the band would have arrived in Costa Rica on Oct. 18 to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Luis Beltran, whose brother died from the accident .
On Saturday, they set off on a rafting trip, after their professional guides first advised them to wait an hour until the winds and rain dissipated.
The 14 men boarded three separate rafts around 3:00 pm local time, all of which capsized in less than five minutes, they said.
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The Quepos region on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is popular with foreign tourists
"In a few minutes, we all went down the river with lifejackets and helmets just trying to stabilize and find something to keep," the survivors wrote.
"Throughout the dangerous descent of the river, we all struggled to stay above the water, swallowing a good deal while our bodies ricocheted against the rocks in the water while fighting to survive.
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Police used rams to enter the travel agency's office as part of the investigation
"Most of us have finally been able to grab rocks or gates in or around the water and wait for the rescue teams to reach us.
All five victims were swept downstream and found after a five-hour search.
The Red Cross said the accident had occurred near Liverpool's Quepos, on the country's Pacific coast.
Authorities said the rains had inflated the Naranjo River, making water sports more dangerous and increasing the risk of flooding.
What was the reaction?
Officials from the US State Department said they were in contact with the group of men who rented a house in Play Hermosa de Jaco and who help the families of the victim to travel to Costa Rica.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert tweeted that the United States had sent "their deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones, and expressed gratitude to the Government of Costa Rica for its support of this tragedy ".
Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado said on Twitter: "On behalf of the Government and the people of Costa Rica, I would like to express our deep sorrow for the accident that occurred this afternoon at the Naranjo River in Quepos.
"I would like to thank all the emergency and security teams who have worked diligently and have instructed the authorities to assist the victim's families."
Police are investigating the travel agency and raiding their rafting offices, according to US media reports.
Earlier this month, a Massachusetts man who was celebrating his honeymoon in Costa Rica was killed by a flood at Playa Dominicalito while he was attempting to cross a submerged bridge.
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