A 14-year-old boy tragically lost his life in front of his distressed friends after being attacked by a crocodile. The incident occurred as Muhammad Rafli Hamzah was washing clothes near his home in South Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Despite efforts to free himself and a search team mobilizing, the boy’s lifeless body was discovered in the river, around 200 meters from the attack site.
Local authorities, aided by rescue volunteers and community members, utilized multiple boats to search for Muhammad. The Police chief mentioned that the body showed multiple bite marks and was recovered by a combined search and rescue team. Authorities urged the public to be vigilant to prevent similar incidents.
Indonesia is home to 14 crocodile species, including the aggressive estuarine crocodiles known to thrive in the region. Conservationists suggest that overfishing and habitat encroachment due to activities like tin mining have led crocodiles closer to human settlements, resulting in several attacks in recent years.
In a separate incident, a 10-year-old boy was fatally attacked by a crocodile while swimming in the Inggoi River in North Maluku, Indonesia. The boy’s friends raised the alarm, but unfortunately, he succumbed to the attack before help arrived. The local police chief highlighted that crocodiles are still frequently spotted in the area, particularly the swamp crocodile variety.
Another distressing event involved an 80-year-old man who fell victim to a crocodile attack while bathing in a river in Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. The elderly man was found dead, with his clothes left behind on the riverbank.