Crocodile Rips 15-Year-Old Boy Into Pieces While Fishing with Friends in Indonesia

A crocodile attacked and decapitated the body of a 15-year-old boy at a volcanic lake in Indonesia on August 2, according to emerging reports in recent days. The victim named, Farjan Idham, was with his friends fishing at Lake Tolire in Ternate City. However, the unprecedented animal attack occurred when Idham decided to sit on a log and rest for a while, unaware that the massive reptile was trailing him.

The teenager did not have enough time to react and flee as the crocodilian suddenly jumped out of the water and pulled him into the lake. His schoolmates reportedly attempted to save him but the crocodile's tail hit them and prevented them to move near the water. With this, they sought immediate help after they retreated to the shore.

A search and rescue operation were launched in the lake. Yet, an investigation and full recovery of the body was delayed due to various factors such as the continued presence of not one but at least two crocodiles, as well as the geographical structure of the lake. The Idham's mutilated body, with his arms torn off and head which was almost cut off from his neck, recovered on August 4

The recent crocodile attack adds to the myriad incidents of Indonesia's human-wildlife conflict, where encounters continue to increase to the growing population of the reptilians and the expansion of human settlements in their natural habitat. In the past, various sources that claim that habitat degradation and habitat loss are the main trigger points for such attacks to occur.

Lake Tolire Crocodile Attack

According to Latin Times, a New York-based media outlet, the entire investigation into the attack lasted three days despite the boy's body floating in the lake. Local authorities said the roaming crocodiles near the corpse and the steep cliffs under the lake mainly caused the operation's delay.

The body was first sent to a funeral home before being sent to the victim's family. Following the wild animal attack, authorities have temporarily closed Lake Tolire, according to Ternate Search and Rescue Agency head, Fathur Rahman, Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide (MEAWW).

Indonesia Crocodile Attacks

The August 2 incident comes almost a month after 14-year-old girl named, Intan Maria Sari, was killed by a crocodile when she swam into the river to wash clothes with her friends during a typical leisure activity.

Sari disappeared from the water which led to a large-scale search operation involving members of the Regional Disaster Management Agency, National SAR Agency, the Indonesian army, and locals.

In June, a man's body found inside the stomach of a 13-foot crocodile days after he was eaten alive in the West Papua province of Indonesia.

The victim, construction worker Yeniman Bernard, was sitting on a boat when he was dragged underwater by the giant predator.

Details of Bernard's fate came into light after angry locals found the reptile with a bloated stomach, which they slit open only to find the victim's decomposing body, as reported by Newsweek.