KUCHING: A 32-year-old Indonesian labourer was about to relieve himself by the banks of Sungai Santubong near Pending here when he was attacked by a crocodile.
Known only as Pai, the labourer was working on the new Pending bridge when he had a stomach ache.
Without thinking, he rushed to the riverbank near the construction site to ease himself at about 8.30am yesterday, and then it happened.
“A 2m-long crocodile suddenly pounced out of the water and bit me in the waist,” he said.
Painful encounter: Pai being wheeled to the admission ward after being treated at the SGH accident and emergency unit.
Pai struggled to break free from the reptile’s jaws while it was trying to pull him into the water.
Luckily for him, there were some steel rods which he held on tight to.
After about 10 minutes, the crocodile finally let go, and Pai jumped to safety.
He sustained puncture wounds to his right waist and left side of his ribs.
His colleagues rushed him to the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and they arrived there at about 9.30am. His condition was not critical.
Pai told that he and his colleagues had often seen several crocodiles in the river, especially in the late afternoon.
However, he had completely forgotten about the reptiles because of the stomach ache.
This is the second crocodile attack within two days near the city.
The other victim Ashley Austin Chin, 14, is recuperating after being treated at SGH.
He was attacked by what he claimed to be a 2m-long crocodile on Wednesday while playing in the water with some friends at the Pasir Panjang beach.
The crocodile bit his thighs. He shouted to his friends who immediately scrambled to help him in a 30-minute tug-of-war.
The reptile eventually let go and the boy was immediately brought to hospital.
