A three-year-old boy who was allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in Cambridgeshire has undergone his seventh operation, a nerve graft on his left arm, his parents have revealed. The toddler remains in a stable condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, four weeks after the incident on June 18, 2026.
Parents Detail Injuries and Surgeries
In a message posted on a GoFundMe page, the boy's parents said: "Today our son had his seventh surgery. In that surgery the surgeons completed a nerve graft on his left arm. They harvested a nerve from his leg to replace part of the nerve that was missing in his left arm." They explained that the nerve will hopefully embed over time and help their son regain some function in his left hand, but tests to determine success will not be carried out for a few months.
The parents described the first 12-hour surgery on June 18 as "the worst 12 hours of our lives," during which surgeons addressed tendon damage, nerve damage, blood vessel damage, broken bones, and severe tissue damage in both arms, neck, head, and face. They had been signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation.
Incident and Rescue
The boy was allegedly thrown over a 4ft barrier into a 15ft deep crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, by a 30-year-old man from Norfolk. The man, who reportedly has severe learning difficulties and was being chaperoned by carers, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and later released on bail until September 18 after being deemed unfit to be interviewed. The zoo's owners—Andy and Tracey Johnson and their son Edward—heroically jumped into the enclosure to rescue the boy.
Fundraiser and Recovery
A GoFundMe campaign set up by a well-wisher to support the boy's physical and psychological recovery has raised over £68,000. The parents expressed gratitude, saying: "We were unsure if our son was going to make it and that was the worst feeling in the world. 4 weeks later and the cheeky little boy that we love so much is talking to the nurses, playing using his feet and smiling again." They hope the seventh surgery will be the last for now, allowing them to go home soon, though they face new challenges in his rehabilitation.
Hospital Data Breach Investigation
Addenbrooke's Hospital is under investigation after the boy's medical records were accessed by 40 staff members. Cambridge University Hospitals has self-referred to the Information Commissioner's Office and is probing whether the staff had a legitimate reason to view his records.
