Man pokes croc in the eye to save himself

 

Shahril Saupi said villagers often caught glimpses of the crocodile as it ate their rubbish. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A man’s quick thinking saved himself after he was attacked by a crocodile at Kampung Sungai Buloh in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, yesterday.

Shahril Saupi, 36, was fishing for shrimp near a water gate in the village at about 4pm when his left leg was suddenly bitten and dragged by a crocodile.

After Shahril was dragged by the crocodile into the waters, he struggled with the reptile for about five minutes, in hopes of freeing himself.

“I then remembered how the older people had advised to poke the crocodile in the eye (if attacked by one). After I poked its eye, it released its bite,” Berita Harian quoted him as saying.

Despite the pain in his left leg, Shahril managed to swim his way to the river bank before seeking help from villagers. He was later taken to Sarawak Hospital, where he is still being treated.

“In my five years of catching shrimp in that area, it was the first time that I had been attacked by a crocodile,” he said, estimating it to be about 4m long.

“But villagers here say they often caught glimpses of this crocodile eating their rubbish.” - FMT