Man vs. crocodile: 71-year-old’s fight for survival in Philippine village

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MANILA, Philippines, Oct 12, (Agencies): In a tranquil village nestled in Palawan, a harrowing encounter unfolded as 71-year-old Oyong Miranda found himself facing a fearsome foe. The serene evening in Barangay Sumbiling, Bataraza, Palawan, was shattered when Miranda ventured into the river and fell victim to a relentless crocodile attack around 5:30 pm one fateful Tuesday.

The unsuspecting Miranda was set upon by the crocodile, which left deep bites on his leg and body. In a valiant struggle for survival, the septuagenarian miraculously managed to escape the clutches of the predator. Miranda was quickly transported to Rio Tuba Hospital, where skilled medical professionals skillfully sutured his wounds.

Saramhel Armal, an official in the village of Sumbiling, disclosed that Miranda had been unaware of the lurking danger as he entered the water, and the sudden attack occurred behind his residence. As Miranda recuperates from his injuries, the entire community remains on high alert. Village officials have issued a precautionary warning to residents, especially children, advising them to refrain from swimming in the river that meanders through their village.

Bataraza, located at the southernmost tip of Palawan Island and approximately 225 kilometers from the capital city, Puerto Princesa, is renowned for its population of wild crocodiles. The presence of these formidable reptiles continues to cast a shadow of danger over various parts of this tropical paradise, where crocodile attacks are, unfortunately, not unusual.

Earlier this year, residents successfully captured a colossal 15-foot saltwater crocodile, which ultimately perished after being shot with a small-caliber firearm. In a separate incident last July, a lifeless 14.9-foot saltwater crocodile was discovered floating along the shoreline in Barangay Inogbong.

Regrettably, such encounters have proven to be fatal in the past. In November 2018, a fisherman in Palawan lost his life in a brutal crocodile attack. Local authorities, along with Coast Guard personnel, recovered the mutilated remains of the fisherman, believed to have been attacked by a saltwater crocodile in Balabac, southern Palawan. A month earlier, in October 2018, a male student swimming with his friends near the river’s mouth in southern Palawan was also attacked by a seven-foot crocodile, as reported by local police.

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