Wedding guest bitten by crocodile
By Emmanuel Chuma
WHAT started as an afterwedding party on Monday ended in a nightmare when one of the guests was attacked by a crocodile.
The man was only saved from certain death by other guests, among them the bridegroom, at Matopos National Park.
Relating his ordeal to Chronicle at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo yesterday, Mr David Thomas Farrar, a tourist from Britain said he was lucky to be alive after being attacked by the vicious reptile.
“I still cannot come to grips with the fact that I am still alive. I am still feeling dizzy from the injuries I sustained and the shock following it but otherwise I am feeling better now.
“I thank God for all this and all those people who saved my life. I thank everyone because I did not know them in the first place and this was my first time to be in Zimbabwe. To imagine that those people did not even know me before saved my life is amazing,†he said.
Mr Farrar said he had flown from the United Kingdom to attend his sister’s wedding two weeks ago.
Following the wedding on Sunday, a trip was planned to Matopos National Park on Monday.
The party took a game drive in the park and when they arrived at Mpopoma Dam, Mr Farrar and his girlfriend and some guests decided to swim.
It was during that time that the nightmarish experience took place. The other members of the party who were on the bank saw the crocodile moving towards the swimmers and alerted them.
However, as the other swimmers fled, it was too late for Mr Farrar as it caught up with him and pulled him under water for some time.
“As the crocodile attacked me and took me under the water, having bitten deep on my arm, I immediately thrust my other arm into its mouth, groping widely. I believe that this is what made the crocodile come back to the surface.
“While at the surface, I began poking at its eyes. This time it went for my ankle where it also bit deep as it dragged me under water. All this time I kept on praying to God to save me. Strangely enough it failed to drown me,†he said.
When they resurfaced again, other members of the group among them the bridegroom dived into the water to assist their colleague.
They fought the crocodile using sticks and other weapons until it let go of Mr Farrar.
They then dragged him to the bank. He was immediately rushed to hospital bleeding profusely.
“That was a miracle otherwise I could be dead and buried by now. I remember at one time squaring up with the reptile face to face and begging that I did not want to die.
“I thank all those people who cared about my life otherwise they could have run away and left me to meet my own fate,†he said.
Mr Farrar sustained injuries all over his body including a fractured ankle.
Hospital staff said his condition was satisfactory.

Mr. Farrar is fortunate to escape! Small croc! Hello---you don't take a swim in the rivers of Africa or in the NT of Australia.

You can run into objects of all sizes

Dak

They took a game drive in a National Park and decided to take a swim . . . Duh! That gentleman clearly qualifies for an Honorable Mention at the annual Darwin Awards. Pity so foolish a group has survived to pollute the gene pool with their basic stupidity.

Ha ha, what a dickhead! I remember seeing mud covered crocodiles basking on the banks of those lakes.

Shit for brains is the term that springs to mind!

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Shit for brains is the term that springs to mind!

Steve, those bloody poms in Africa! I don't know.