Crocodile Drags, Kills 61-Year-Old Former Cop Into Vishwamitri River Near Vadodara
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A 61-year-old former police employee was allegedly attacked and dragged into the Vishwamitri River by a crocodile at Paldi village in Waghodia taluka of Vadodara district on Thursday afternoon.
The incident has left residents of the village in shock. The area is known to have a significant crocodile population in the Dev and Vishwamitri rivers, and there have been previous incidents of crocodile attacks on villagers, including a woman and a teenager.
Crocodile Attacks While Man Tries to Retrieve Pot
According to Forest Department sources, Naresh Pirubhai Bhalia, a resident of Paldi village, had gone to the riverbank to fetch water with a pot.
The pot reportedly slipped from his hand. When Bhalia went towards the water to retrieve it, a large crocodile allegedly lunged at him and dragged him into the river.
Son Jumps Into River to Rescue Father
Seeing the attack, Bhalia’s son immediately jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue his father. However, he was unable to save him as the crocodile dragged the elderly man further into the water.
Crocodile Circles With Body for Nearly an Hour
The crocodile reportedly carried Bhalia’s body around the river three to four times and held on to it for nearly an hour.
As news of the incident spread, a large number of villagers gathered at the spot. Forest Department officials, police personnel and fire brigade teams also reached the location and began efforts to recover the body.
Fire Brigade Clears Dense Vegetation to Recover Body
The area where the incident occurred was covered with dense bushes and vegetation, making the rescue operation difficult. Fire brigade personnel cleared the obstructing vegetation to facilitate the operation.
The body, which remained surrounded by crocodiles, was eventually recovered with the help of bamboo poles and other equipment.
The deceased's body was sent for post-mortem examination, while authorities continued to assess the circumstances surrounding the crocodile attack.
