Boy, 1, eaten alive by crocodile that snatched him from canoe as dad tried helplessly to fight back

A CROCODILE snapped and ate a one-year-old boy off a small boat while his father frantically tried to fend it off.

The 11-foot animal fell out of the murky waters when father Moherat, 45, moored the boat in a bay on the Borneo coast.

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An emergency call was made around 10.30am yesterday when witnesses described how the crocodile attacked the father and son in Lahad Datu on the Malaysian part of the island.

Fire and Rescue Chief Sumosoa Rashid said: “The victim was rescued by members of the public but suffered serious head and body injuries and is now being treated at Lahad Datu Hospital.”

He added: “Despite the man’s best efforts, he sustained numerous bite wounds and was unable to prevent his son from being dragged under the water.

“There have been several viral videos showing the victim (his child) being attacked by the crocodile and then grabbed before being dragged to a nearby river.”

The toddler is still missing but is presumed dead as search and rescue efforts resumed today after an overnight hiatus.

The chief said police were using a “surface rescue method” to comb more than a mile of water from where the crocodile attacked.

In November, a 12-foot crocodile ripped off the head of an 8-year-old boy in Costa Rica while he was on a fishing trip with his family.

Julio Otero Fernández was mutilated while his horrified family looked on helplessly.

An eyewitness said: “It shook him (the child) and ripped off his little head.

“Then it grabbed him again and pulled him under the water.”

In Indonesia, a 14-year-old girl was killed by a crocodile while washing her clothes in a river.

As locals in the developing world still use rivers for bathing and primitive fishing, the deadly combination of factors has led to an increasing number of crocodile attacks.

Two years ago, another child was killed by a crocodile while swimming with his friend near Sabah.

The eight-year-old was swimming in water less than 20 meters from his home when a crocodile attacked him.

His friend ran for help, and his body was recovered two hours later near where the attack took place.

Police spokesman Rohan Shah Ahmad said of the incident: “The boy’s body had serious injuries including his hip, chest and abdomen.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

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