A Sabahan fisherman is counting his lucky stars after surviving a crocodile attack off of Banggi Island, off Sabah’s northern coast last night.
The Star reports that the croc had snuck up behind 40-year-old Nursahim Nusiri and grasped his torso in its jaws. Miraculously, he managed to overcome the shock of the situation, and began beating the reptile with his bare hands.
Released from its deadly jaws, the fisherman cried for help, and local children playing in the infested waters went to get other villagers for help.
He’s been treated for broken ribs, damaged lungs and is currently in the larger Kudat Hospital after being transferred there by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). The island’s only available boat was unseaworthy, so MMEA officials used their patrol boat to transport the victim.
Nursahim is reported to be in stable condition.
Croc attacks are unfortunately becoming more and more frequent of Sabah’s idyllic islands,
Both Sabah and neighbouring state Sarawak have experienced an increase in crocodile sightings and attacks. A few years ago, Sarawak residents noticed that attacks were on the rise. Many blamed the changing eco-structure brought on by palm oil farming and logging to the rise in crocs in previously uncharted waters.
East Malaysia is arguably the most resource rich area of the country. Sabah is the country’s biggest palm oil supplier. From palm oil to rubber to timber, money flows from Borneo but often does not reach the backwaters of its rural residents.
Previously, residents of one island reported that their waters had become overrun by the saltwater beasts, leaving them afraid to leave their homes.
And kids, maybe don’t play in those waters, k?
