Residents joined rescue operations to locate the boy.

11:35, Tue, Jul 21, 2026 Updated: 11:39, Tue, Jul 21, 2026

Rescuers

Volunteers also joined rescue operations. (Image: News.com.au)

An eight-year-old boy has died after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming in a river in Indonesia. The boy, named Dani, was playing in the water near his home when the crocodile dragged him beneath the surface in South Kalimantan, on 14 July.

Residents called for help, and a search and rescue operation began. Footage circulating on social media showed group of volunteers shining torches across the Kupang River as they searched for the missing boy through the night.

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The body was found the next day, floating more than 492ft (150m) from the spot where he was attacked, the Australian news outlet also said.

Rescuers

Residents during rescue operations in the river. (Image: News.com.au)

It also added: "Crocodile encounters are rising in Indonesia, which hosts a massive saltwater crocodile population due to human expansion along local waterways.

Indonesia has the highest rate of crocodile attacks in the world, driven primarily by a surge in encounters with saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus). In 2024 alone, independent databases recorded 179 crocodile attacks across the archipelago, resulting in 92 fatalities, the BBC reported.

Recent incidents were reported in multiple islands including Banyuasin, South Sumatra, and fatal attacks reported in North Nias and Central Tapanuli.