80-year-old man dragged off by crocodile while bathing in Sarawak; only his head is found by search and rescue

MALAYSIA: An 80-year-old man in Sarawak, Malaysia, was killed in a crocodile attack while bathing under a bridge near his home, with only his skull recovered more than a day later.

According to China Press, the incident occurred at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept 9) when the elderly man was bathing under a bridge. Witnesses reported that a crocodile dragged him into the river.

His family, unable to find him, later discovered only his towel and slippers at the riverbank.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department was alerted shortly after and immediately deployed a search and rescue team. Despite continuous efforts, no trace of the victim was found for over 30 hours.

At around 11 p.m. on Wednesday (Sept 10), authorities recovered the man’s skull about 500 metres from where he had been attacked. However, his body remains missing.

Authorities said that firefighters will work together with the police and the Sarawak forestry department in efforts to capture the crocodile believed to be responsible.