A woman from Indonesia managed to survive a harrowing 90-minute encounter with a crocodile before eventually being rescued and transported to a hospital.
On July 27th, Falmira De Jesus, a 38-year-old farmer working on a palm oil plantation in West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, was gathering water from a shallow stream surrounded by vegetation in Ketapang Regency. Unexpectedly, a lurking crocodile attacked her as she approached the water’s edge.
The large reptile suddenly lunged from the foliage, seized her leg, and pulled her into the water.
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“I was in pain from where the crocodile was holding me. I couldn’t break free,” Falmira recalled. “Then I started to feel like I was becoming weaker. I just thought I was going to die, because I was falling below the water.”
Remarkably, Falmira was able to call for assistance and resist the crocodile’s grasp long enough for her co-workers from the plantation to come to her aid. Video footage that went viral depicts the courageous woman, with only her head above the water, desperately clinging to wooden poles extended by her colleagues, while others prodded the water with sticks to deter the crocodile.
“I lie in the hospital and can still see the crocodile in my mind, and feel it on my body,” the 38-year-old survivor said. “I am very grateful for people that helped me to escape. They saved my life.”
Witnesses recounted that the crocodile clung to Falmira for an astonishing 90 minutes, repeatedly attempting to submerge her. Fortunately, the water was not deep enough, and with the arrival of more individuals over time, the situation began to shift. Eventually, the crocodile relinquished its hold on her and retreated. One of her brave co-workers ventured into the water to rescue her, and she was swiftly taken to the nearest hospital.
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Medical professionals informed Indonesian media that the mother-of-two suffered deep puncture wounds on her right arm, thigh, and lower leg, but is expected to fully recover, a recovery that many consider nothing short of miraculous.
Local law enforcement commended both Falmira for her valiant struggle against the crocodile for over 90 minutes and the individuals who assisted her during this ordeal. However, they also cautioned plantation workers and residents to exercise greater vigilance when approaching bodies of water, as Indonesia is home to 14 distinct species of crocodiles.
