Crocodile drags boy, ten, to his death: Horrified villagers discover beast with child in its mouth

A ten-year-old boy was killed after being seized by a crocodile and dragged underwater, with horrified villagers later spotting the reptile resurfacing with the child’s body clamped in its jaws. 

Affan had been swimming with friends in the Inggoi River in North Maluku, Indonesia, on Tuesday afternoon when the crocodile struck. 

The boy was cooling off in the water when the animal suddenly lunged, biting into his torso and thrashing him violently as he screamed for help.

Witnesses said Affan was pulled beneath the surface as his terrified friends watched helplessly. 

The two boys who had been swimming with him managed to escape and ran back to their village to raise the alarm, but by the time help arrived, Affan was already dead.

Shocking footage circulating locally shows the crocodile floating near the riverbank with the child’s lifeless body locked in its jaws before slipping back beneath the murky water. 

After the attack, a joint search operation involving police, soldiers, and rescue volunteers was launched immediately, with teams combing the river and surrounding coastline using rubber boats, fishing vessels, and longboats. 

Searchers were forced to proceed cautiously amid fears of further crocodile attacks.

The search continued through the night and into the early hours of Thursday, December 18, when the crocodile was finally spotted again near a village pier. Residents gathered in shock as rescuers worked to drive the reptile away from the area.

Affan’s body was found floating just a few feet from the pier after the crocodile retreated. His remains were recovered and placed on a boat before being returned to his grieving family.

Local police confirmed the river is known crocodile territory. South Halmahera police chief Hendra Gunawan said crocodiles were frequently sighted in the area and warned residents that the animals remained a serious threat. 

Iwan Ramdani, head of the Ternate search and rescue office, confirmed the operation had concluded following the recovery of the child’s body.

‘The search was carried out using Basarnas rubber boats and community longboats as well as fishing boats, combing the coast along the Inggoi River to the sea surface,’ he said. 

‘With the victim’s death and his body handed over to his family, the search and rescue operation is complete and closed. All involved elements have been returned to their respective units.’

Indonesia is home to 14 species of crocodiles, including large and aggressive estuarine crocodiles that thrive in the country’s tropical climate. 

Conservationists say attacks on humans have increased in recent years as the animals are pushed closer to villages.

Experts believe overfishing has reduced crocodiles’ natural food sources, while coastal development, farming expansion, and widespread tin mining have destroyed habitats and forced the reptiles further inland.

In many rural areas, rivers remain essential for bathing, washing, and fishing, creating a deadly overlap between human activity and crocodile territory.

Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and avoid entering rivers known to be crocodile habitats, warning that further attacks remain a real risk.

Fatal crocodile attacks in recent years, particularly in eastern provinces, have seen a sharp rise. 

In May 2025, a 13-year-old boy, Muhammad Syahputra Almanda, was killed in Jambi province after a crocodile seized him while he entered a river to retrieve a football, dragging him underwater as villagers watched helplessly.

Another case earlier this year saw a 53-year-old father of four, Arifuddin, being mauled to death by a crocodile in South Sulawesi while bathing with relatives, with rescuers later recovering his body about a mile from where he was attacked.