A 49-year-old father has died after being dragged into a river by a crocodile in Indonesia, despite desperate efforts by friends to save him. The victim, identified as Sarangadi, was searching for shellfish in a river when the attack occurred.
According to friend Asdar, who witnessed the incident, a disturbance resembling a whirlpool appeared in the water before the crocodile surged out and attacked Sarangadi. Asdar said, 'He works as a farmer. Collecting shellfish is not a usual part of his routine. He could have lived if we had not invited him.'
Rescue teams from the Kendari National Search and Rescue Agency worked overnight to recover the body, which was found floating near the river mouth. Authorities have warned locals to avoid the river due to the risk of further attacks.
The incident follows a recent attack in South Africa, where a seven-year-old boy lost his arm to a crocodile while playing in shallow water. The boy, Johandre Blom, was attacked at Roodekoppies Dam on the Crocodile River and was rescued by his father and another adult.
