KOTA KINABALU: A man was seriously hurt while his younger brother sustained mild injuries in a crocodile attack in Sabah’s northern Pitas district.
The brothers were installing a water pump on a riverbank near their home at Kampung Sinasak when the incident occurred at 5.30pm on Tuesday (Feb 8).
Kota Marudu OCPD Supt Zairolnizal Ishak said the elder brother, aged 53, suffered serious injuries on his hands, legs and body while his 51-year-old brother was hurt on his hand and leg.
It was understood, he said, that the duo was in knee-deep water in the river when they were setting up the pump which was meant to supply water to their home.
He said the reptile, believed to be over 6ft long, suddenly snapped at the elder brother’s foot.
“Alerted by the attack, the younger sibling then tried to pull away his brother in order to save him but he was also bitten,” he said, when contacted.
Supt Zairolnizal said, however, both men somehow managed to break free from the crocodile and fled to safety before they were rushed to the Pitas hospital by their family members later.
He said the elder brother was warded but was reported to be in stable condition at the hospital while the other sibling only received outpatient treatment.
The elder brother would be referred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the state capital for further treatment soon, he added.
Supt Zairolnizal advised the public particularly those living along the coastline and rivers to be extra careful when conducting activities in the water.
