A 21-YEAR-OLD man was killed by a crocodile while bathing in a stream near an oil palm plantation at Rantau Merbok, Tatau, in Bintulu on Saturday night.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department’s Operations Centre said it was alerted to the incident at 8.27pm, prompting a response team from the Tatau Fire and Rescue Station to be dispatched to the scene to launch a search and rescue operation.
“Upon arrival, the team conducted an initial inspection and gathered preliminary information from a witness – the victim’s elder brother, who had been bathing with him at the time of the incident,” the spokesperson said on Sunday.
The witness recounted hearing his younger brother scream for help and said he even attempted to grab the crocodile by its head, but was unable to save him as the victim was pulled underwater and disappeared beneath the surface.
Rescuers encountered difficulties in navigating the stream due to its shallow waters, which complicated efforts to conduct a thorough search using boats.
The first day of the operation focused on scouring the upstream and downstream sections of the stream, using both surface and shoreline search methods. - September 28, 2025
