As two kayakers watched helplessly, their friend was pulled beneath the water by a massive crocodile in an attack caught on film.
In December 2010, renowned South African adventurer Hendri Coetzee, along with Chris Korbulic and Ben Stookesberry, embarked on an expedition to navigate the Lukuga River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by kayak.
The trio was on an exhilarating quest to be the first to kayak the river’s whitewater. They had successfully completed the initial leg along the Rusizi River when tragedy struck as Coetzee was attacked by a large crocodile.
Fully aware of the dangers posed by hippos and crocodiles, the team endeavored to stick close together.
However, the river’s width, approximately 100 feet, caused the group to become slightly separated.
With Coetzee paddling in the middle, Stookesberry at the front, and Korbulic following behind, the kayakers were about five feet apart when a large crocodile suddenly emerged and moved towards Coetzee’s left side.
Korbulic recounted the terrifying moment to the Associated Press: “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. I think we both were just in complete shock and disbelief, and absolutely horrified at what had just happened.”
Coetzee’s kayak overturned as the predator, measuring around 15 feet long and weighing an estimated two tonnes, pulled him from the cockpit.
Stookesberry and Korbulic, who were documenting this unprecedented journey, could only stand by in shock.
Recognizing the danger and fearing for their own safety, the pair quickly paddled downstream to a nearby village.
Locals informed them that the crocodile was likely of enormous size, and Korbulic and Stookesberry immediately radioed for assistance.
Stookesberry, in a desperate call, said: “This is Ben, can you hear me? We’ve had a terrible accident here. Hendri just got taken by a crocodile.”
The kayak was later retrieved by local villagers, and strangely, it bore no signs of the attack—Coetzee’s body was never recovered.
Coetzee’s tragic story is recounted in the National Geographic documentary, Man-Eater of The Congo.
Even though the documentary includes footage of the attack, it does not capture Coetzee’s final moments or the crocodile dragging him underwater.