Crocodile kills dad after dragging him into river as friends fight to save him

A dad has died horrifically after being dragged into a river by a as his traumatised friends desperately tried to save him. The victim, named as Sarangadi, 49, was looking for shellfish in the river when he was savagely killed by a crocodile after the beast into the water. The crocodile reportedly snatched the man's torso with its jaws, as his friends tried to try and save the dad but it was tragically too late. According to a heartbroken friend of Sarangadi, he had witnessed a "whirlpool" in the middle of the water shortly before the fatal attack.

Devastated friend Asdar said: "The other villagers waded into the river, and I chose to stay on land. Not long after we arrived, I saw a disturbance in the middle of the river. Suddenly, a crocodile surged out of the water and attacked Sarangadi. He works as a farmer. Collecting shellfish is not a usual part of his routine. He could have lived if we had not invited him."

Rescue teams worked overnight to rescue the dad's body, which was later returned to his heartbroken family. The Kendari National Search and Rescue Agency confirmed the the body was discovered floating near the mouth of the river. Authorities have warned people to stay away from the river amid fears of another attack. The Indonesian archipelago is home to 14 types of crocodiles, with a large portion said to be violent beasts that are normally found due to the region's climate.

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The savage attack comes just weeks after seven-year-old boy was left severely injured after a massive crocodile ripped off his arm as he was playing in shallow waters. The horrific incident happened last Friday near the town of Brits in the North West Province of .

Johandre Blom was in the Roodekoppies Dam, located on Crocodile River, along with his nine-year-old friend, known only as Dylan. The latter reportedly shouted and screamed once he realised that his pal was being attacked by the giant and tried desperately to help him escape from its jaws.

The victim's dad, named as Corne, was about 25 metres away in a caravan where he was sitting with Dylan's dad, Jannie Bekker. "The next moment my little boy screamed," Mr Bekker later told local media.

He added: "I saw him grab Johandre by the arm, but there was a big jerk and then Johandre was away from Dylan. Dylan shouted, 'there's a crocodile here', and Corne and I immediately ran to the water."

Johandre was thrown around by the crocodile before Mr Bekker reached the water where Corne managed to pull him free of the beast, who was still dangerously circling nearby. It was then that they realised the youngster was missing his left arm. The frantic parents applied towels to the wound before rushing him to hospital by car. Medics were able to stabilise Johandre and he was then flown by helicopter to hospital in Alberton, more than 60 miles away. He was later placed in an induced coma.