A 1-year-old boy was eaten alive by a crocodile while his parents were rowing on a river in Malaysia. The little boy was snatched from the canoe by the crocodile while his mother and father were fishing off the coast of Lahad Datu in Sabah, Malaysia, on December 1st.
His father was also seriously injured by the crocodile, but was unable to save his son from the attack. The baby’s father received multiple bites, including a large head wound, and when he reached the shore, the crocodile had already dragged his son into the depths.
Later they managed to see the animal coming back to the surface with the body of the child in its jaws, to sink back into the water with the corpse, says the British newspaper. The Mirror, that reports the whole case.
According to Sumsoa Rashid, the head of the Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Agency: “The father suffered severe injuries to his head and body. His son is still missing and search operations are ongoing. Furthermore, he stated that the father was taken to the local hospital for medical treatment.
Rashid also stated that the presence of the crocodile in the area is still dangerous: “We have warned them of the additional dangers at this time and asked that they be especially careful because the alligator is likely still in the area.”
There is a permanent threat of crocodile attack in the area. The Royal Malaysian Police and Marine Police joined the local fire department, and are searching for the boy’s body.
Control of the people in the area is difficult, due to the reliance of residents on fishing. The head of the Fire and Rescue Agency said: “Many residents there depend on the river for their food and livelihood, so they need to go to the water.”
Another recent tragic death
In Costa Rica, it recently happened that an eight-year-old boy, Juan Otero Fernández, was dragged into the depths of a river in the Limón region, in front of his parents. Dad was knee-deep in the river when the huge reptile attacked.
The couple with five children was also fishing when the tragedy occurred on October 30. A witness reported seeing the animal attacking the boy’s head first, before dragging it into the water.
crocodile attacks
It is estimated that crocodiles kill about 1,000 people in the world each year, in regions where large reptiles are native and are located in populations close to human settlements.
The two most common species in this type of attack are the Nile crocodile and the saltwater crocodile. Most of the attacks take place in remote parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia. This is the case of the United States, the state of Florida is the one that reports the most attacks, followed by Texas, Georgia and South Carolina.
This type of attack is difficult to handle, since crocodiles have a row of 80 sharp teeth and powerful jaws; when they attack they lunge out of the water, open their jaws and bite, dragging the prey back into the water. They perform a maneuver called the “death roll,” according to the site. a-z-animalswhich handles information about different animals.
After the death roll it becomes very difficult to get the victim back. The crocodile then uses its teeth to tear off parts of the prey, gradually swallowing the pieces whole.