6-year-old girl dragged away by crocodile while bathing in river
A tragic incident occurred in Sarawak, Malaysia on Wednesday (18 Sept) when a crocodile seized a six-year-old girl and dragged her away.
The victim, Cicilia Julan Intik, was attacked while bathing in the river with her family.
Her grandfather, who was also in the water nearby, witnessed the horrifying event, which took place around 6.30pm.
Despite being close, he was unable to intervene as the attack happened with devastating speed.
Victim remains missing
The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department reported receiving a distress call about the incident at 7.21pm.
Following the report, a team of six firefighters from the Tatau Fire and Rescue Station, located approximately 5km away, was immediately dispatched to the scene near Kampung Seberang Pasar Lama Tatau in Bintulu.
Rescue teams, along with the victim’s family, searched the jetty area and the surrounding riverbanks in an effort to locate Cicilia.
Despite their combined efforts, the young girl has not yet been found.
In addition to the fire and rescue personnel, the Tatau police were also present, conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the attack.
Search operations resume in the morning
As night fell and visibility diminished, authorities made the decision to halt the search at 8.30pm for safety reasons.
With the river’s dark waters and the danger of another crocodile attack, rescuers could not continue safely.
The search and rescue operation resumed at dawn, with teams planning to intensify their efforts around the riverbank in hopes of locating Cicilia.
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Featured image adapted from Berita Harian Online and Jiwa Bakti on Facebook.
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