A Philippine tourist’s birthday turned into a disaster when a huge crocodile attacked him while taking a selfie.
Nehemias Chipada celebrates his birthday together with his family in Amaya View. It’s an amusement park situated in Cagayan de Oro City in the Philippines. He enjoyed himself wandering around the park until he found the crocodile that almost cost his life when he took a selfie with it.
Selfie with a deceiving dangerous “statue”
Predators such as crocodiles will keep motionless while waiting for their next meal. Unsuspecting victims become dinner if they move closer to the vicious animal.
The same thing happened when Philippine tourist Chipada mistook the huge crocodile and other animal statues in the park. He went to its lair to take some selfie shots. To his surprise, the 12-foot long reptile bit his left arm and tugged him to the pool. Chipada is lucky to break free from the animal’s grip and death roll.
His terrified family and other visitors could only watch in horror as the crocodile tried to kill Chipada. It wasn’t clear how he managed to get his left arm out of the crocodile’s jaw. But based on the video footage, it looks like that he punched the animal’s left eye.
Exhausted, he left the pool with bleeding arms. He was taken to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center for immediate treatment. He escaped death but suffered puncture wounds along with a fractured arm and thigh.
Crocodile usually kills their prey by biting it and dragging it into the water. As soon as the victim hits the water, the reptile will then start rolling. The victim will die due to a lack of oxygen and broken bones.
Who is liable?
Chipada and his family blame the management for the shocking incident. They claimed that the park has no advisories that warn people not to intrude on the enclosure.
However, Amaya View denied the allegations of negligence. But, they will shoulder the medical expenses of Chipada.
“They said they thought the crocodile was also artificial, but that area is actually restricted. There are signages and constant reminders from our tour guides,” said Candy Unabia, Amaya View Chief Operating Officer.
Image Source: Gregg Yan/WikimediaCommons