Teenager Muhammad Rafli Hamzah was washing clothes in the river near his home in Indonesia when he was dragged into the water by the reptile – his body was found later
A 14-year-old boy was mauled to death by a crocodile in front of his distraught friends.
Muhammad Rafli Hamzah was doing laundry in a river close to where he lived in South Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province in Indonesia when he was attacked by the croc. The beast pounced on the teen before dragging him into the murky waters as his friends and younger sibling watched on.
The teenager tried to struggle free and emergency services rushed to the scene, with relatives and rescue volunteers among those helping to scour the river. After hours of searching, the youngster’s lifeless body was found floating in the water around 200 metres from where the attack took place.
The search team used several boats, including those owned by local fishermen, when attempting to search for Muhammad. Ipda Alimudin Latif, Kolono Police chief, said the body had sustained numerous bite marks when it was found.
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He added: “Yes, the victim was found deceased. There were multiple bite wounds. He was retrieved by a combined SAR and Fire Department team. We urge the community to heighten their awareness to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.”
Experts say there are 14 species of crocs in the Indonesian archipelago, including a substantial population of aggressive estuarine crocodiles that flourish in the region’s climate. Some conservationists believe the reptiles are being forced further inland towards villages due to overfishing reducing their natural food supplies.
Widespread tin mining has also caused villagers to encroach on the crocodiles’ natural habitats. Many residents in these areas still rely on rivers for bathing, laundry and basic fishingwhich has led to a number of crocodile attacks in recent years.
Just last month a 10-year-old boy was dragged to his death by a crocodile while swimming with his friends in the Inggoi River in northway loss it, Indonesia. Affan was left screaming for help as he thrashed around in the water, before being dragged into the murky depths.
His two friends dashed out of the river and raced back to the village to alert authorities, but Affan was already dead by the time help arrived. The boy was seen floating lifeless as the crocodile gripped him in its jaws, before disappearing beneath the surface.
Hendra Gunawan, police chief for South Halmahera, said the area was a known crocodile habitat. He said: “Crocodiles still often appear there. The locals say they’re swamp crocodiles.”
A grandfather suffered a similar fate in June when he was attacked by a 10ft croc while bathing in the river near his home in Tanggamus Regency in Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Pensioner Wasim, 80, was discovered dead in the crocodile’s jaws after friends found his clothes on the river bank.