A six year old boy was reportedly bitten by a crocodile and dragged around in the water by his head for 10 minutes.
Stock croc image.
He’s reportedly in critical condition in hospital after the attack, that happened when he was playing with his sister near Mexico’s El Palmar beach, in Ixtapa, Guerrero. The pair are said to have wandered away from their parents to go and explore before the attack.
Locals and hotel staff nearby apparently feed the crocodiles to impress and entertain tourists, which isn’t a very good thing to do, as the crocs then associate people with food, and could approach them more often carelessly.
The local newspaper reported that the boy was playing near a fenced off area, when he was then attacked by the reptile, which dragged him underwater by his head and dragged him around further for 10 minutes, biting other body parts too.
The crocodile, which is said to be 3 metres long, eventually let go of the child after witnesses threw rocks and debris at it.
He was then rushed to hospital by ambulance while drifting in and out of consciousness. His injuries on arrival were said to be so bad he had to be put on a ventilator.
Crocodiles are known for having powerful bites, and are very dangerous animals. Many people every year are injured and killed by crocs around the world, often due to their ability to hunt, but also due to people not respecting their power and getting a little too close to them, when they maybe shouldn’t. The boy was particularly lucky to have survived the attack, as once a crocodile gets hold of you, it’s often very difficult for it to let go; in the time they’ve had hold of you, too, they’ve likely done considerable damage.
We are thinking of the boy and his family, and hope the young boy can make a full recovery.
