He waded into a lagoon to relieve himself. Then a crocodile attacked, officials say.

A tourist in Cancun, Mexico, is in critical condition after he drunkenly entered a lagoon and tried to pee in it, according to local media reports.

The man, who is believed to be an American, according to Newsweek, was attacked early Sunday morning as he wandered through the city’s hotel zone, according to the Riviera Maya News. The man, who has been identified as either 29 or 40 years old by media outlets, was apparently inebriated and ignored posted signs warning about the presence of crocodiles in the area’s lagoons.

According to 24 Horas, the man waded into the lagoon to relieve himself and was then surprised by a crocodile that bit his arm and attempted to drag him deeper into the water. The man successfully freed himself and made it back to shore, but the reptile was able to rip off part of his arm, according to El Sol de Mexico.

According to El Universal, the tourist was first reached by a security guard who heard his screams. Emergency officials then transported him to a local hospital, where he is still in a “delicate” condition, according to El Sol de Mexico. According to multiple media outlets, he has since undergone surgery to amputate the rest of his arm due to the severe injuries he suffered.

There have been 36 crocodile attacks over the past 22 years in the state of Quintana Roo, according to El Universal, and many of them have taken place in Cancun, where tourists ignore warnings of the crocodile population.

In the U.S., there are relatively few deaths caused by crocodiles and alligators each year. According to the Washington Post, data from the Center for Disease Control shows that alligators kill an average of one person per year across the county.

This story was originally published July 5, 2017 at 6:43 PM with the headline "He waded into a lagoon to relieve himself. Then a crocodile attacked, officials say.."