SANDAKAN: An afternoon outing to trawl in the Segaliud river turned nearly fatal for 51-year-old Mardani Makku as a crocodile leapt off the water and dragged him down under.
According to Mardani’s son, Roslyn Mardani, 27, his father was with a friend when the attack happened two weeks ago.
“He (Mardani) put up a fight to fend off the attack while his friend relentlessly tried to pull him out of the water.
“It wasn’t until my father was finally dragged to the river bank that his friend was able to pull him away from the crocodile and brought him to safety,” said Roslyn who came all the way from Bukit Garam to visit his father in the intensive care unit of the Duchess of Kent Hospital yesterday.
Rosyln added that after his father was brought to safety, the friend called out for help and several people came to lend their assistance and immediately brought Mardani to Hospital Kinabatangan and later to be quickly transferred to the Duchess of Kent Hospital.
Rosyln remains unsure of the identity of the father’s friend.
The crocodile attack caused Mardani to sustain injuries to his abdomen, hands and feeth and was in coma for a week.
“My father is ok now and is able to speak and open his eyes,” Rosyn said.
The oil palm plantation worker has been hospitalised for two weeks.