Elementary School Students In Agam West Sumatra Still Bitten By Estuary Crocodile During Evacuation, Hysterical Family Welcomes Body

The body of the victim who was eaten by a crocodile is being carried by the joint SAR team (ANTARA)

AGAM - The Joint Search and Rescue Team of the Government of Agam Regency, West Sumatra (West Sumatra), managed to find the body of an elementary school student who was eaten by a crocodile while bathing with his brother in the Batang Masang River, Padang Mardani, this morning.

The victim's body was found at around 17.30 WIB or about three kilometers from the location of the attack. Arriving at the funeral home, Jorong Padang Madani, Nagari Manggopoh, Lubukbasung District, parents, siblings and family were hysterical when they saw the victim's body.

"I want to see my brothers and sisters," said one of the victims' brothers in Lubukbasung, as reported by Antara, Monday, January 17.

One of the residents who found it, Muhammad Nasir (67) said the victim's body was found in Kapatanahan, Jorong Gadih Angik, Nagari Tiku Lima Jorong, Tanjungmutiara District. "The victim's body was found about three kilometers from where the third grade elementary school student was bathing," he said.

The victim's body was found when he and four other residents were exploring the river by boat. He saw the yellow color around the river bank and immediately approached. Apparently, the crocodile was still biting the victim's body and pulling him to the bottom of the river.

"The crocodile's mouth was still biting the lower part of the body. When we arrived at the location, the body was brought into the water and when we got the hand, it was immediately removed," he said, who is also the victim's grandfather.

After that, the victim's body was immediately taken to the location of the victim to bathe with the help of the Basarnas Pos Pasaman Barat boat. The victim was immediately taken to the funeral home for burial. "The body parts are intact and only suffered scratches," he said.

Meanwhile, Acting Head of the Agam Damkar Satpo PP, Helton said the joint team involved in searching for victims came from the West Pasaman Pos Basarnas, BPBD, Firefighters Satpol PP, Agam KSDA Resort, Lubukbasung Police and local residents.

"We have deployed four boats from BPBD Agam, two units, Basarnas Pos Pasaman Barat one unit and one unit belonging to residents," he said.

Previously, the joint team looked for victims by tracing the river. However, at 17.00 WIB, the search was stopped in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

With this condition, three boats from the Agam BPBD and SAR were brought ashore and the search was continued on Tuesday (18/1) at 08.00 WIB, but only the boats belonging to residents were left.

After the team rested and some headed to Lubukbasung, he received information that the victim's body was found and went straight to the location to evacuate the victim.

"I urge residents not to carry out activities in the river so that they are not attacked by estuarine crocodiles," he said.

Previously, the victim and her sister on behalf of Neli (16) were taking a bath to go to school on the Batang Masang River, 50 meters from her house.

At that time, the victim was brought by a crocodile into the middle of the river and the victim's brother grabbed the victim's hand. However, defeated, Neli was unable to save her sister.