KOTA KINABALU: An Indonesian man was attacked by a crocodile while fishing in a river at Ladang Linddale in Kinabatangan on Monday morning (May 26).
The victim, Jufri Untung, 30, was attacked by a crocodile during routine fishing by the riverbank.
Kinabatangan Fire and Rescue Station chief Hairi Utoh said they responded to a 6.06am emergency call and dispatched a five-member team led by Mohd Nor Azmeer.
The team arrived at the scene, about 50km away, at 7.21am.
"We launched a search and rescue operation using surface searching techniques along the riverbanks," he said.
The operation involved the Royal Malaysia Police, the Wildlife Department, and members of the public.
The victim's body was found at 1.40pm, about 30m from where he was last seen, and he was confirmed dead at the scene by police personnel.
"The crocodile had released the victim near the water's edge. His left arm was missing, believed to have been bitten off during the attack," said Hairi.
The victim's remains were handed over to the police for further action, and the operation was called off at 3pm after confirming the area was safe.
Hairi advised the public to exercise extreme caution near riverbanks, especially in crocodile-prone areas.
This is not the first reported crocodile incident in the region, which is known as a habitat for wild reptiles.
