Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of Mario Genz, a consul at the German Embassy in San José, who drowned Saturday afternoon at the Centro Recreativo La Laguna in Río Cuarto, Alajuela. He was 53. Emergency services received the alert at 2:23 p.m and the Costa Rican Fire Department sent four units to the scene, while the Costa Rican Red Cross sent three ambulances and a first-response vehicle.
Rescuers pulled Genz from the water near the center’s dock and found him with no signs of life. Red Cross crews tried to revive him for more than an hour but were unsuccessful and he was declared dead at the scene. Reports differ about what happened before the emergency, and conflicting accounts are still coming in.
The Fire Department said the incident occurred near the recreation center’s kayaking area, while other agencies reported that Genz had been aboard a kayak that overturned. However, the Río Cuarto Integral Development Association, which operates the center, issued a statement correcting reports circulating on social media. The association said Genz was swimming in the lagoon when the emergency occurred.
The association described him as a certified diver and frequent visitor who regularly swam and dived in the lagoon. It said staff responded immediately after noticing that he was in trouble. Judicial sources also reported that Genz was a member of the German Embassy’s emergency response team and was an experienced swimmer and diver who knew the lagoon well.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death on social media and extended its condolences to Genz’s family and his colleagues at the German Embassy and Consulate in San José. The ministry said it would coordinate with Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and the embassy as the case moves forward.
Genz was originally from Mannheim in southwestern Germany and had built a diplomatic career across three continents before being posted to Costa Rica. He served as vice consul at the German Consulate in Florida in the mid-2000s and later worked as cultural and press attaché at the German Embassy in Colombia.
He was also known in San José as a serious athlete. In September 2024, the German Embassy publicly congratulated him after he won a gold medal in the 5,000 meters in the over-50 category at Costa Rica’s national masters track and field championship. In the same post, the embassy noted that he enjoyed running, diving, handling consular cases and spending time with his daughter and son.
The Centro Recreativo La Laguna is in the northern area of Alajuela, roughly 75 kilometers (47 miles) north of San José. It brings in families and other day visitors with its lagoon, kayak rentals and open-water swimming. It is one of the region’s better-known outdoor destinations.
Investigators have not established the exact sequence of events that led to the accident and the Red Cross has urged the public to take precautions during months when water-related emergencies are more common. Areas of open water without lifeguards account for a significant share of Costa Rica’s drownings each year, and even experienced swimmers and divers can be at risk.
The Tico Times extends its deepest condolences to Mario Genz’s family, friends and colleagues at the German Embassy and Consulate during this difficult time.
