Muhammad Syahputra Almanda, 13, was killed by a crocodile while playing football with friends near his village in Indonesia.
The tragic incident occurred on May 24, when the ball rolled into a nearby river during the game at Jambi village, Sumatra Island. Almanda jumped into the water to retrieve it, but never returned.
“He jumped in but he didn’t resurface,” police said. “Soon after, witnesses saw him in the jaws of a crocodile.” Witnesses reported seeing a giant crocodile bite the boy and drag him underwater. Video footage obtained by Daily Mail captured screams of his friends as the reptile disappeared with Almanda.
Rescue teams were sent there immediately, deploying boats and equipment to search the river. Around 9 p.m. the same day, his body was found face down with multiple bite wounds.
The incident has sparked renewed concern over the rising number of crocodile attacks in Indonesia. Conservationists warn that overfishing and habitat destruction are driving saltwater crocodiles, commonly found in the country, closer to human living space.
In a similar case in March, a 51-year-old man named Sadarwinata was killed by a crocodile while swimming near Talise Beach in Central Sulawesi. Witnesses described a gruesome attack, with police later firing at the crocodile to recover the victim’s body.
In February, a 10-year-old was killed by a crocodile on Indonesia’s Borneo island. The boy jumped into a river in West Kalimantan province on Borneo, one of the world’s most biodiverse islands, on Tuesday, when a 13-foot-long crocodile attacked him.
