Crocodile kills beachgoer and swims through sea carrying victim in its jaws

A crocodile killed a beachgoer and swam near the shore while clutching his body in its jaws as horrified onlookers watched.

The reptile lurked below the surface as Sadarwinata, 51, paddled around Talise Beach in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on March 27.

Locals said they tried to yell and warn him after seeing the croc’s silhouette swimming toward Sadarwinata.

The crocodile then bit the swimmer and thrashed him around in a ‘death roll’, before swimming away.

The local rescue team said they received a report of the fatal attack at 7:15 am, launching a thermal drone to find Sadarwinata’s body.

Gruesome aerial footage showed the crocodile holding Sadarwinata’s corpse in its mouth as it swam around aimlessly.

Deny Abrahams, city police commissioner, said: ‘According to eyewitness statements, the victim was swimming too close to the crocodile that was already visible around the location.

‘They shouted to warn him, but the victim was in the water and didn’t hear. The rescue efforts were carried out swiftly by the joint team.

‘One of the members of the Central Sulawesi Police Mobile Brigade Corps was even forced to shoot the crocodile to make it release the victim.’

Officers collected Sadarwinata’s body, punctured with bite marks, from the sea, before sending it to Bhyangkara Hospital for a post-mortem exam.

Police said conservationists were at the scene to prevent similar crocodile attacks. They warned visitors to be vigilant when swimming at the beach.

The Indonesian archipelago is home to 14 types of crocs, with a large population of extremely large and violent breeds.

Conservationists believe many of the crocs have been driven further inland, closer to villages, due to overfishing reducing the crocodiles’ natural food supplies, combined with habitat loss.

Widespread tin mining has also caused villagers to encroach on the crocodiles’ natural habitats, pushing the creatures closer to people’s homes.

In December, a killer croc was filmed resurfacing with the body of a 46-year-old woman in its jaws hours after mauling her to death.

Nurhawati Zihura decided to wash her feet in some seawater when the crocodile grabbed her.

Locals ventured into the waters in boats, throwing chicken at the crocodile to try and distract it from the dead body.

When the Croc eventually did let her go, helpers pulled her out of the water and took Nurhawati back to shore.

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