The incident reportedly happened on Thursday morning, June 19, while the father was fishing off the coast of Lahad Datu in Sabah and the young Malaysian child was in a canoe.

Legend has it that the father tried in vain to free his son from the crocodile’s grip. He sustained injuries during the procedure and required help from others to exit the water.

The father sustained severe injuries to his head and body, according to Sumsoa Rashid, the director of the Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Agency. Searches are still being conducted for his missing son. For medical attention, the man has been brought to the Lahad Datu Hospital.

and injuries to the body. Searches are still being conducted for his missing son. For medical attention, the man has been brought to the Lahad Datu Hospital.

“Many people there depend on the river for their food and livelihood, so they have to go into the water,” Sumsoa continued.

“We have cautioned them about the additional risks that are currently present and to exercise extra caution as the crocodile is probably still in the area.”

The Royal Malaysian Police are reportedly looking for the baby boy’s body.

Crocodile attacks are rare, but they do happen and often end in death.

After a crocodile attacked a woman in 2022, Australian authorities were forced to shoot the animal dead. The attack was thought to have occurred while the 38-year-old woman was swimming in the water at Lake Argyle’s Butler Cove.

Because the crocodile was deemed a “problem animal,” it was “destroyed.”

“The behavior of a crocodile approaching the boat and the events of the previous day are consistent with what staff would identify as a problem animal,” the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation stated at the time.

Staff destroyed the animal to ensure public safety in the well-liked swimming and recreation area and in light of major community events like this weekend’s annual Lake Argyle swim.