Liv Bridge
Two kayakers caught the horrifying moment their friend was ambushed and killed by 'man eater' crocodile on camera.
Legendary South African adventurer Hendri Coetzee had set sail with his two pals, Chris Korbulic and Ben Stookesberry, in December 2010 to explore the Lukuga River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) when the mission turned deadly.
The team wanted to become the first people to boat the whitewater on the river and had already completed the first stretch along the Rusizi River when a lurking predator apparently had other ideas.
Advert
The buddies were more than aware of the threat of dangerous animals in the area, including hippos and crocs, and tried to stick close to one another when on the water.
Yet, a stretch of the river measuring around 100 feet became a wedge between the group as they were forced to kayak at around five feet apart.
Coetzee was paddling in the middle, Stookesberry at the front and Korbulic just behind when a hefty crocodile emerged from the depths below and launched itself towards the left of Coetzee’s boat.
Speaking to the Associated Press after his pal was dragged into the river by the beast, Korbulic said: "I glanced over and just in my periphery I saw the crocodile come out of the water, and he got onto Coetzee’s left side – just the left shoulder with its mouth.
“The crocodile just pulled him right underwater," he continued. "I think we both were just in complete shock and disbelief, and absolutely horrified at what had just happened.”
The reptile, which they estimated to be around 15 feet in length and weighing a whopping two tonnes, apparently dragged Coetzee's body from the cockpit of the capsized kayak.
Meanwhile, Stookesberry and Korbulic, who were filming their once-in-a-lifetime expedition, could only watch on in horror.
After realizing there was nothing they could do to rescue their friend, they feared the croc would come for them too so they paddled away to safety to a nearby village.
Villagers reportedly told the shocked pair that the reptile was probably of its beastly size and Korbulic and Stookesberry radioed for help.
Stookeberry said in his frantic call: “This is Ben, can you hear me? We’ve had a terrible accident here. Hendri just got taken by a crocodile."
The abandoned kayak was later found by residents and didn’t have a single mark on it to indicate what had happened.
Tragically, Coetzee’s body has never been found.
His tragic death has since been told in National Geographic documentary, Man-Eater of The Congo.
While the film includes some footage of the attack, it doesn’t show Coetzee's final breath or the moment the crocodile drags his body to the depths.