The boy was with his siblings on board a small wooden boat when the crocodile snatched him and dragged him away while they are crossing a river in the town of Balabac in Palawan, Philippines.
Authorities said the victim’s father attempted to search for his missing son but failed. A fisherman found the boy’s half-eaten remains in a nearby mangrove area late Monday.
The town of Balabac has been notorious for crocodile attacks. The police said previous incidents have been recorded including last year’s attack where a 4.75-metre saltwater crocodile was captured, which was suspected to have killed a fisherman.
Another incident in February was also reported involving a 12-year-old boy swimming in the river said Mr Pabello, spokesman for a government council that works to conserve the environment of the Palawan island group. The boy escaped when his siblings attempted to hit the reptile’s head with oars.
"Since 2015, we've never had a year with zero [crocodile] attacks" in Balabac, Mr Pabello, told AFP.
In February last year, a crab fisherman did not survive a crocodile attack in the same town. According to the police, the incident happened three months after his 12-year-old niece was dragged away by a crocodile. The girl was never seen again.
Share
