Brits, South Africa. What began as a peaceful fishing afternoon quickly turned into a harrowing scene when a seven-year-old boy, Johandre Blom, was dragged by a crocodile while playing in the shallow waters of Roodekoppies Dam, located on the Crocodile River in South Africa’s North West Province.
The incident occurred on Friday, March 21, just a few feet from where his family and his friend Dylan’s family had parked their caravan to enjoy the day. The two boys were playing at the water’s edge when, without warning, the reptile emerged and violently seized the child.
It was Dylan who screamed out, alerting the adults nearby. His father, Jannie Bekker, and Johandre’s father, Corne, were about 25 meters away when they heard the desperate cry: “There’s a crocodile here!”, Bekker recalled.
Both men ran toward the water and managed to free Johandre from the crocodile’s powerful jaws, but by then, the damage was already severe: the predator had torn off the boy’s left arm.
Without wasting a second, they wrapped towels around the wound to stop the bleeding and rushed him by car to the nearest hospital. There, doctors stabilized him before he was airlifted to a hospital in Alberton, where he remains in a stable condition, placed in an induced coma as part of his recovery.
The family has launched a fundraiser on BackaBuddy Fund to help cover Johandre’s medical expenses and rehabilitation.
Witnesses reported that the crocodile was later seen lurking near a tourist area in the same region, even harassing a boat that was searching the water for the boy’s missing arm. So far, it has not been confirmed whether the animal has been located or neutralized.
The story has sparked intense debate on South African social media, with many expressing shock while others criticized the lack of caution in an area known to be a natural crocodile habitat. Several users pointed out that there are visible warning signs throughout the zone.
Starting today, local authorities are urging visitors to avoid direct contact with the waters at Roodekoppies Dam and to strictly follow all posted warnings, as surveillance and safety measures are being reinforced to prevent similar incidents.