Man dies in a crocodile attack in Indonesia
ArchiveFirst published July 3, 2025. It may not reflect later developments.
An 80-year-old man named Wasim was tragically killed by a crocodile while bathing in the Semaka River in southern Indonesia. The 10-foot reptile dragged him underwater before emerging with his body in its jaws. “I got sucked down the drain pipe… it sucked me up like a twig,” Drew Owen recalled of a similar harrowing survival.
Local villagers, armed with sticks, bravely charged into the river to strike the crocodile. “After being struck several times, the crocodile finally released the victim’s body. But… he was already in a lifeless state,” said Police Chief AKP Sutarto. Wasim had suffered deep wounds to his back and shoulders.
Wasim’s son-in-law, Samugi, said, “It was just a normal day for us. We didn’t expect it to end tragically like this.” Authorities are urging locals to stay cautious near rivers.
Indonesia leads the world in crocodile attacks, with over 1,000 reported in the past decade. Experts say habitat loss and overfishing have pushed aggressive crocodiles closer to villages, creating deadly encounters with residents who rely on rivers for daily needs.
