Horrified Father Watches Huge Crocodile Drag 15-Year-Old Son Under Water

A villager in India witnessed his 15-year-old son get dragged into deep water by a crocodile Wednesday.

The victim, identified as Vijay Mali, was grazing goats by a river in western India along with his father when a crocodile leapt out of the water and caught hold of him, the Times of India Reported.

The River Dhadhar, a narrow waterbody that runs through the state of Gujarat and eventually opens up into the sea, has a large population of crocodiles. There has been several attacks in the past.

The horrified father raised an alarm as his son was dragged deep into the water. Hearing the man’s screams for help, locals rushed to the spot but the ferocious reptile immediately disappeared into the river, with the boy in its jaws. An intensive search ensued but people could not rescue the boy.

Fire officials responded to the scene after receiving a call around 2:30 p.m. local time. Responding crews arrived in the village and conducted a thorough search for the boy. However, they were unable to recover the minor’s body.

According to Times of India, search operations will resume on Thursday where the Dhadhar river merges with a larger waterbody.

Officials had warned locals from straying too close to the river. Forest officials believe the river and the ponds surrounding it have over 100 crocodiles, which often venture out during the rainy seasons.

In June 2020, a 12-year-old boy was dragged into the same river by a crocodile. The victim had been playing near the river when he slipped into the water. The emergency crew was able to recover the boy’s body with multiple bite marks.

Earlier last month, a man bathing in a river in the eastern state of Odisha was dragged under water within minutes. His body was not found. Authorities blamed locals for endangering themselves by entering the crocodile-infested water.