15-Year-Old Philippine Boy Feared Dead After Crocodile Mauls Him

A 15-year-old Philippine boy has possibly died after he was attacked by a crocodile in Balabac, Palawan on Sunday. He was reported missing after the incident.

The boy, Romilo Miranda, went to dive and fish with his uncle and two cousins in Sitio Bual, Barangay Indalawan and fell to murderous wrath of a crocodile around 9:05 a.m, as revealed by Lt. Col. Socrates Faltado, spokesman for the Mimaropa to Philstar Global.

One of Miranda’s cousins recounted how he witnessed the crocodile leaping onto the victim and biting him in the nape. It dragged him towards the deeper portion of the water thereafter, he added.

Miranda’s uncle Pablo Sarmiento said even though they wanted to help the boy, they backed off fearing the crocodile would kill them too.

A team of the Philippine Coast guard, maritime police and municipal government, initiated a search and rescue operation soon after the incident took place.

In another incident which was reported on Aug. 14, 2019, by CNA Asia, a 10-year-old boy was killed after a crocodile snatched him from a boat in saltwater in the southern Philippines. The young victim of a fearsome crocodile was accompanied by his two older siblings in the boat near the town of Balabac. The town is rather infamous for frequent confrontations with these enormous water-giants. He was pulled into the river during their voyage. The incident took place in Barangay Salang after which the severed leg and head of the boy were spotted in the mangroves.