Schoolboy's headless body found after being snatched by crocodile in front of pals

A schoolboy's headless body was found washed up after he was snatched by a in front of his horrified friends.

Denis Rodi, 10, and his friends were playing in the shallows of in Lahad Datu town, Sabah, Malaysia, when a large saltwater crocodile snatched him in front of the youngsters early morning on October 13.

Lahad Datu District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Dzulbaharin Ismail, said: "Immediate search and rescue efforts were made by family members and villagers but they failed to find him. The boy's stepfather then lodged a report at the Desa Kencana Police Station to seek help.'

Four officers were dispatched to aid in the search. However, the schoolboy's dismembered corpse later washed ashore at around 9:26am, some 600 metres from where he disappeared.

Denis was said to be missing his right hand and his head. Wildlife Officer Silvester Saimin said Denis's family had arrived to visit relatives.

He said: '"At around 7am, the children aged between five and 10 were taken by their aunts to bathe on the beach. The victim, who was in the middle of the group of children, was mauled by a crocodile and dragged into the water."

The boy's body was taken to the Lahad Datu Hospital.

Meanwhile, on September 18, Malaysian schoolgirl Cicilia Julan Intik, 6, was dragged away by a crocodile while bathing in a river on Bintulu Island. She was splashing around with her family nearby when the predator snapped her up and pulled her deeper into the water.

Wildlife officers said they have found what are believed to be the youngster's remains - including teeth and bones - inside a croc caught from the river on September 27.

Crocodile attacks in Malaysia, especially in the states of Sarawak and Sabah, occur primarily in rivers and coastal areas where saltwater crocodiles are prevalent.

These attacks often involve fishermen, villagers, or tourists near crocodile habitats. Due to the rising human-wildlife conflict, the government has implemented measures like awareness campaigns and occasional culling to manage the crocodile population and reduce attacks.