Man Survives Crocodile Attack in West Bangka

West Bangka, Bangka Belitung (Antara) - A man survived after struggling with a crocodile that attacked him in Sagak River in Parittiga Sub-district of West Bangka, Bangka Belitung province, police officers reported here on Thursday. Chief of Jebus Police Sector Station Commissioner Era Joni Kurniawan said the victim was Butun, 54 years old, a local resident. He was attacked by a crocodile on Wednesday, June 11, at around 06:00 p. m. local time in the river located in an unconventional tin mine in Telak Village. "Thanks to the victim's friend and fellow miners on the location, he was taken to a nearby public health center immediately," Kurniawan quoted chief of West Bangka Police Resort Station Adjunct Senior Commissioner Djoko Purnomo as saying. Butun was reported to have plunged into the river to take a bath after finishing washing tin sand at the mine. While he was washing his body, a yellow crocodile, roughly four meters long, suddenly pounced on him. Butun struggled in the water to escape the crocodile's grip for around 30 minutes, the report said. "Desperately struggling, he got the idea of poking the crocodile's eyes with his fingers," Kurniawan said. It turned out Butun efforts paid off, the crocodile released its strong jaws from his body. Free from the crocodile's jaws, Butun rushed to the land surface on the river bank and screamed for help. His fellow miners immediately brought the wounded Butun to the Sekar Biru Public Health Center in Parittiga Subdistrict for medical treatment. "He was seriously wounded. His left hip was torn up to the abdomen, also his left wrist," Kurniawan said. The crocodile's claws also injured Butun's left hip, nape, and left shoulder. After the accident, local police put a warning board at the location. "We hope residents will become aware of the presence of the crocodile at the location and not take a bath at the river to prevent further accidents," Kurniawan said. (*) Reporting by Donatus Dasapurna Putranta EDITED BY INE