Man killed in Southeast Sulawesi river crocodile attack found dead

Kendari, SE Sulawesi (ANTARA) - A man, reportedly attacked by a crocodile, was found dead in Roraya River in South Konawe District, Southeast Sulawesi, on Monday.

Aminuddin PS, head of the National SAR Agency Office in Kendari, the provincial capital, stated that the man, identified as Sara, 40, was found dead around 1.9 kilometers downstream from where he was last seen.

"He was found dead by the joint SAR team," Aminuddin stated here, adding that the finding marked the conclusion of the search operation.

The victim's body was recovered by the SAR team at around 1 p.m. local time and was promptly handed over to his family for burial, he added.

The local SAR office head revealed that Sara, a native of Tinanggea Sub-district in South Konawe District, went missing on Sunday (April 6) after reportedly being attacked by a crocodile at the river.

According to Aminuddin, Sara had gone to the Roraya River with his wife to harvest clams at 11 a.m. local time. He was attacked by a crocodile two hours into work at 1 p.m. local time.

"The earlier search conducted by his family and the local community went fruitless," he added.

The SAR agency promptly dispatched its team to search for the victim after receiving the report from the locals at 4 p.m. local time. Apart from the agency, personnel from the nearby national park and the local police also assisted in the search operation.