A man from Ilitona village in Nusatuva, Kolombangara, Western Province, is recovering at Gizo Hospital after surviving a brutal crocodile attack over the weekend.
According to reports, the man was preparing to go out fishing on Saturday morning when the reptile struck. His wife had woken him up around 3am for their usual fishing trip.
As he was about to board his canoe at the village wharf, the crocodile lunged from the water and grabbed him.
In a desperate attempt to save her husband, the woman splashed water and shouted loudly, which startled the crocodile and forced it to release him. The man sustained deep wounds to his body during the attack.
He was later rushed to Gizo Hospital for medical treatment and remains under observation.
Villagers from the area have expressed fear following the incident, calling on authorities to address the growing number of crocodile sightings around the Kolombangara coastline.
Western province has continued to experience a high incidence of crocodile attack over the past years.
Crocodile population continue to increase after RAMSI collected most of the rifles from registered owners.
Communities have been advised to contact their nearest police station so that officers can hunt down the reptiles.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
