Tourists Fight Back Their Assailants, Killing One Of Them
A group of tourists that got off the cruiseliner the Carnival Liberty to take in the sights and sounds of Limón decided to fight back their attackers, killing one of the assailants in the process. Witnesses say that some 12 North Americans were involved in the attack against the two men who attacked them minutes before they were getting ready to re-board the cruise liner after a tour of the city.

Three assailants confronted the minibus operated by Mambo Tours shortly after 3:00pm, as the tourists were getting ready to return to their ship, stopping near the Cieneguita where they could get shot photo shots of the cruise liner.

"One of the assailants got on the bus, and pointed a gun at my head. I could do nothing. I had 12 tourists on board. They attacked the man by getting on top of him. At that point, I shut the door of the van and sped off to get help while the other two ran off", said Robert Francis, the driver of the minibus.

The driver drove to the area near the Aduana (customs) office while the tourists and assailants fought, recalled the driver as he told his story to authorities.

Luis Hernández, regional chief of the Fuerza Pública (police) said that the tourists acted in proper self defense and apparently, in the scuffle, caused the death of the assailant.

One of the tourists was a former U.S. Army soldier, who according to witnesses, had nerves of steel, bravely getting on top of the assailant, without care of his own safety, while the other "coward" assailants ran off. The rage of the victims was such that they overtook the man, smothering him and breaking his neck.

One of the tourists on board the minibus suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be attended by Cruz Roja (the Red Cross), who was then transferred to the cruise liners medical centre.

Hernández was in contact with the captain of the cruiseliner who was asked to postpone his departure while the Fiscalia (prosecutors) took statements of the tourists,

All the tourists were seniors were all back on board the cruiseliner by 6:00pm and allowed to leave Costa Rica, taking with them more than just memories of the sights of "paradise".

The dead assailant was as a 20 year man identified only by his last name Segura who is resident of the Limón area.