A mother just wanted to wash her feet in a misguided attempt to feel better. Moments later, a crocodile lunged from the water and dragged her to her death.
The chilling incident happened in a village in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Local bystanders could only look on in horror as the crocodile thrashed the mother around in a deadly death roll. 46-year-old Nurhawati Zihura, a mother of four, died in a moment's notice. From there, the crocodile dragged the mother's body below the waters of Deaa Orahili Beach.
The reptile surfaced an hour later, still clutching onto the mother's body in its mouth. In an attempt to avoid letting the croc eat the woman's remains, locals began tossing dead chickens into the water at it. They then retrieved the body.
Crocodile Attacks Mother
Resident Agustinus said, "I saw the crocodile attacking Nurhawati on the surface of the water. We shouted but it would not release her. It was a terrible sight, worse than any of the scenes of hell. Her blood was spilling into the water. Later on, the crocodile appeared with her body in its mouth. We went out in boats and fed chicken to crocodile, so it would eat that instead of her."
Meanwhile, a relative to the woman said that she felt unwell and had tried to make herself feel better. He said, "She wanted to bathe in the seawater to clean her feet. She thought it would help [her] feel better. Many people bathe in the sea and we think that if we stay close to the shore we will be safe. Now the crocodiles are more dangerous than before."
After the devastating attack, police found the crocodile and dragged it to shore where they shot and killed the animal.
Kornelius Wau, the Head of Pulau-Pulau Batu Sub-district, said, "I have asked the North Sumatra Provincial Government through the North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) to take real action. Many of these wild animals are still roaming the coast of Tello Island. I am worried that if this problem is not addressed, it will become a serious threat to the residents there. Where the majority of residents' settlements are on the coast and their livelihoods are at sea.
He added, "There are other wild crocodiles are still roaming the coast of Tello Island and its surroundings. More than 80 per cent of our residents make their living at sea and even most of our residents' settlements are on the coast. They often bathe in the sea, so this is a threat to us and until it is solved, will we live in a frightening situation."
