The family of Cecelia Julan Intik was present when experts opened the stomach of a giant crocodile that is believed to have killed her. Cecelia, who was six years old, was swimming in a river in Malaysia when the crocodile pulled her underwater.
The crocodile, which weighed over a ton, was one of two caught and examined by experts from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation after Cecelia went missing while swimming. The crocodiles were 17 feet and 18 feet long, and they were so heavy that rescuers had to use a tugboat and a crane to bring them ashore.
In videos, you can see one of the crocodiles being lifted onto a pickup truck, and some of its stomach contents spilled onto the road. Cecelia’s family told the police that she was dragged under by the crocodile while playing in the water at Sungai Tatau on September 25.
Cecelia’s sister and grandfather were horrified as they watched her get pulled under by the crocodile, but they couldn’t do anything to stop the attack. On September 27, wildlife experts opened up the captured crocodiles, and they found remains that are believed to belong to Cecelia.
Inside one of the crocodiles, officials discovered human teeth, bones, and a few coins. Some of Cecelia’s family members were there to watch the examination to help the police identify the remains. Tatau district police chief Deputy Superintendent Jame Reis confirmed, “On Friday, two crocodiles were trapped.”
The first crocodile was caught at Hulu Sungai Sap around 9:30 a.m. and weighed 1.2 tons. The second crocodile was caught at 1:20 p.m. and weighed 1.3 tons, both on the same day.
After examining the first crocodile, experts found teeth, bones, and coins in its stomach. The human remains have been sent to a lab at Malaysia’s Department of Chemistry for testing. The crocodile was taken back to Jetty Pasar Lama Tatau and given to forestry experts for more study. The results from the second crocodile examination have not been made public yet.
In another incident, a grandmother in Indonesia was washing pots in a river last month when a crocodile pulled her underwater and killed her. Halima Rahakbauw, who was 54 years old, was cleaning up in the Wali River in Maluku after having lunch with fresh clams when the crocodile attacked. The 14-foot crocodile dragged her around in a deadly move to overpower her, and during the attack, it bit off her arms and one leg.
