The brother of a surfing legend stabbed to death in Costa Rica believes he was murdered by criminals streaming into his idyllic vacation town.
Kurt Van Dyke, 66, was found dead under his bed with a sheet over his head in his home in the small coastal town of Hone Creek at about 10.50am on Saturday.
Van Dyke’s girlfriend Arroyo, 31, was showering when two armed men broke into their beachside apartment and held them at gunpoint, police said.
The burglars killed Van Dyke, before binding Arroyo’s hands and feet with zip-ties, viciously beating her, and fleeing in the couple’s 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
Van Dyke’s body showed signs of asphyxiation and multiple stab wounds, a preliminary examination found. A knife was found beside him.
His heartbroken brother, Peter Van Dyke, played down reports the surfer had ‘enemies’ who could have murdered him over a personal grudge.
Instead, Peter blamed an influx of crime into the nearby resort town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca – and Costa Rica in general – for a robbery-gone-wrong.
‘With the cartels and all the drug trafficking and El Salvador cracking down and now Venezuela’s leader got ousted, a lot of these countries are cracking down on crime and cartels,’ he told the Daily Mail from the family farm in Gilroy, California.
Kurt Van Dyke, 66, was found dead under his bed with a sheet over his head in his home in Costa Rica on Saturday
Van Dyke’s family blamed an influx of crime into the nearby resort town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca – and Costa Rica in general
‘So they’re leaving those countries and going to the neighboring countries where they can operate freely.
‘The Caribbean side is the corridor for drug running, they’ve been drug running along there for a long time, but it was never as violent as it is now.’
Peter said he spoke to his brother on the phone at least once a week and his niece and nephews – who all live in Costa Rica – stayed with him when they visited the US and told him of the situation.
‘I think it was a robbery because crime is pretty much rampant in a lot of areas of that country right now, especially on the Caribbean side,’ he said.
‘I have friends that have traveled down and seen my brother in the past couple of years and they say they’re never going back.’
Peter said police didn’t yet have any suspects and were tight-lipped about the progress of the investigation, but appeared to be keeping an open mind.
‘The cops are investigating this, they don’t know if it was nefarious or if it was a robbery,’ he said.
‘I don’t really think he had any enemies. I can’t imagine that, he never said anything about that.
‘We can’t see any reason why this happened other than a random act of violence but we don’t know yet, we’re waiting.’
He said local police seem to be ‘interested in this case’ and motivated to solve it. ‘They appear to be doing a thorough job,’ he said.
Van Dyke owned the Hotel Puerto Viejo (pictured) since the 1980s, and was working on a real estate deal in Costa Rica when he died
Puerto Viejo – about 3.5 miles from Van Dyke’s home – is a beach town in Costa Rica’s Limón province, nestled on the Caribbean coast near the border with Panama
Peter said Van Dyke’s children Salvador, 23, Lulu, 21, and Jacob, 7, were in Puerto Viejo dealing with authorities and still ‘processing’ their father’s death.
He said he hadn’t spoken with Arroyo as he didn’t really know her, but thought they had been together about five years.
Peter said Van Dyke did a lot for the town, where he owned the Hotel Puerto Viejo since the 1980s, and was working on a real estate deal in Costa Rica when he died.
‘He was a very benevolent man. He was giving, he helped a lot of people in the town and the whole town where he lived is very upset,’ he said.
‘Kurt would never hurt anybody, and he was always there when you needed him. Everyone that he met knew this about him.’
The US State Department has a level 2 travel advisory for Costa Rica, urging travelers to exercise increased caution.
‘Petty crime is common throughout Costa Rica. Violent crime also affects tourists. This includes armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault,’ the warning read.
‘People have reported robberies, including armed robberies, at short-term rental properties. US citizens and other foreigners have reported robberies, break-ins, and extortion at their businesses or homes.’
Tourists echoed many of Peter’s concerns about the area as they gave each other safety tips online.
Puerto Viejo – about 3.5 miles from Van Dyke’s home – is a beach town in Costa Rica’s Limón province, nestled on the Caribbean coast near the border with Panama.
The famous surf spot is popular with backpackers and holidaymakers from the US and beyond, but in recent years developed a seedier reputation.
The Limón province is where 25 percent of homicides occur in Costa Rica.
Tourists echoed many of Van Dyke’s family’s concerns about the area as they gave each other safety tips online
The famous surf spot is popular with backpackers and holidaymakers from the US and beyond, but in recent years developed a seedier reputation
Travelers warned of recent rapes, robberies, and murders and told unsettling stories of young women being harassed and stalked in the streets.
‘Three separate men were following me from different directions and me and my mother literally had to run to our vehicle as they surrounded the car,’ one wrote.
‘It was extremely scary and luckily I was leaving the next day or I would not have felt comfortable going out on the streets there again.
‘I can’t help but think maybe how much worse it might’ve been if I was with my friends and not my mom.’
Another tourist said they traveled all over Costa Rica for months at a time and ‘only felt unsafe in Puerto Viejo’.
‘My first night in Puerto Viejo my wife and I felt as thought people were following us and watching us. That same night our car was broken into so we were clearly not imagining it. It’s sad because it’s such a beautiful place,’ he wrote.
Similarly, another declared that Puerto Viejo was ‘the only place I have ever traveled were in feared for safety’.
‘Also the only place I have ever heard a woman scream bloody murder and screaming for help. So yes be careful,’ they wrote.
Some frequent travelers blamed out-of-town workers for the petty crime and harassment, saying locals needed tourists for their livelihoods.
Van Dyke’s family said police didn’t yet have any suspects and were tight-lipped about the progress of the investigation, but appeared to be keeping an open mind
Van Dyke has owned the Hotel Puerto Viejo for the past four decades since he bought it off the retiring previous proprietor.
The budget hotel, one of the original venues for surfers when it was still relatively unknown has a polarizing reputation among visitors.
‘Worst hostel I’ve ever seen. Room, shower and toilet are dirty,’ one review began.
‘Very very loud music during the night until 2AM… The shared kitchen is full of insects and flies, probably they rarely clean and change the bin.’
Another complained the kitchen, showers and toilets are were dirty and full of ants..
‘Also the rooms are not entirely closed, so when people are drinking outside, you cannot sleep,’ they wrote.
A third added: ‘The rooms were filthy, big roaches went inside of my bag. Beds were undone, as in someone had slept in them already… insect repellent will not help you here. You wake up with multiple bites.’
One traveler called it ‘cheap and pretty sketchy’ and complained about prostitutes frequenting the hotel.
Van Dyke was born to a family of influential surfers, and established his own legacy riding the waves in Santa Cruz
‘The kitchen is filthy and there are no dishes. None. We shared a spoon and a glass,’ they complained.
‘There are prostitutes in the rooms, we saw and heard enough of them. There is a constant smell of marijuana in the common areas and lots of strange people floating around.’
The Daily Mail contacted the hotel about the bad reviews.
Van Dyke was born to a family of influential surfers, and established his own legacy riding the waves in Santa Cruz.
His father, Gene, was a pioneer in the surfing community, and his mother, Betty, helped women join the sport in the 1950s and 1960s.
Van Dyke moved to Costa Rica in 1983, choosing to settle down on the Caribbean coast for its famous Salsa Brava waves.
Surfing the powerful hollow swells, Van Dyke became known as ‘King’ to those in the watersports community.
Friends and admirers of Van Dyke shared their heartbreak at the devastating news of his unexpected death.
‘Rest in peace, Kurt Van Dyke,’ one friend posted online. ‘Today we remember your spirit, your energy, and the light you brought into the lives around you.
Friends and admirers of Van Dyke shared their heartbreak at the devastating news of his unexpected death
‘Some people leave footprints – you left waves. May you surf the clouds forever, free and fearless.’
Van Dyke’s cousin added: ‘Here’s a memorial post for Kurt Van Dyke. Most of you know he was my cousin and early years Peter, Kurt and myself were inseparable surfing, school and most of life.
‘We were very close. This is in honor of him and condolences, words, talk story I will send to his immediate family and his brothers. From the generations past to present day.’
A third wrote: ‘We will miss you, bro. Rest in peace, Kurt. We’ll see you on the next ride. My sincere condolences to the Van Dyke family and friends.’
Recently, Van Dyke told a Limón publication that he was gifted his first surfboard when he was seven and described the sport as both euphoric and addictive.
In addition to surfing, his family has operated the Van Dyke Ranch in Gilroy, California, for six decades.
