Little girl wrestles large crocodile and gouges its eyes to rescue friend

A Zimbabwean schoolgirl has saved her friend from the grasp of a large crocodile by jumping on its back and gouging its eyes till it released its grip.

Latoya Muwani, 9, was reportedly attacked while swimming with friends in a stream in Sinderela Village in the African nation of Zimbabwe.

Rebecca Munkombwe, a pupil at a local in Hwange Town, was just getting out of the stream herself when she heard the screams of help coming from the water.

Local media outlet The Sunday News reported that when she saw her friend was being pulled under and struggling to stay afloat she leaped on in.

‘We had just left the water when we heard Latoya who was left alone swimming near the neck-deep zone screaming that something was biting her hand,’ Rebecca said.

‘Since I was the eldest among the other seven children, I felt the urge to save her. So, I jumped into the water and swam to where she was struggling to float. She was screaming in pain that something was biting and pulling her under.’

She quickly realised the large crocodile had grabbed her younger friend by her hand and leg.

Without a moment to lose the 11-year-old decided to take on the reptile herself, mounting it and gouging its eyes till it loosened its grip.

‘I jumped on top of the crocodile and started beating it with my bare hands before using my fingers to poke its eyes until it released her. Once she was free, I swam with her to the banks where the other children pulled her out of the water. The crocodile fortunately did not attack us after it let off Latoya,’

Rebecca was not injured in the battle, but her friend was taken to St Patrick’s Hospital for treatment.

A nurse at the hospital who spoke to the local media outlet on condition of anonymity said nine-year-old Latoya escaped with ‘mild injuries’.

Latoya’s father, Mr Fortune Muwani told the news outlet when he heard his daughter had been attacked he imagined the worst.

‘How [Rebecca] managed to [save her] I don’t know but am grateful to God,’ he said.

‘Latoya is recovering well…and we expect her to be discharged soon,’ Mr Muwani said.

Local councillor Steve Chisose said crocodile attacks were becoming a problem in the area as a result of an issue with water supply, leading women and children to use unprotected sources, such as those infested with the large reptiles.

‘The women are usually accompanied by their children who get naughty and end up swimming in these water bodies,’ he said.

source: dailymail.co.uk

تشاهد صديقتها بين فكي التمساح فتهرع لإنقاذها وتقفز فوق ظهر التمساح وتتصارع معه.. هذه ليست حبكة درامية لأحد أفلام هوليود ، لكنها قصة حقيقية عاشتها طفلة زيمبابوية تبلغ من العمر 11 عاما خلال محاولتها إنقاذ صديقتها في البحر.

الطفلة ربيكا مونكومبوي قالت إنها أنقذت صديقتها لاتويا مواني، البالغة من العمر 9 أعوام، من خلال القفز على ظهر تمساح ، ليس هذا فقط بل قامت بفقء عينيه بإصبعها .

وتروي ريبيكا قصتها التي نقلتها صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية عن وسائل إعلام في زيمبابوي، فأثناء عودة ريبيكا وصديقاتها من السباحة في نهر بالقرب من منزلهم في قرية “سندريلا”، سمعن صراخا صادرا من الماء.

وأصيبت ريبيكا بالذهول لرؤيتها تمساحا يجر صديقتها في الماء، لتندفع نحو الماء، وتقفز فوق التمساح، وتفقأ عينه، حتى أرخى فكيه عن لاتويا، وذلك في الوقت الذي هرب فيه الأطفال الآخرون.

وقالت ريبيكا: “لقد خرجنا من الماء، ثم سمعنا لاتويا التي كانت تسبح وحدها وهي تصرخ، مشيرة إلى أن هناك شيئا كان يجرها من يدها”.

وأضافت أنه “لأنني كنت الأكبر بين الأطفال السبعة الآخرين، شعرت بالحاجة إلى إنقاذها”.

وكشفت التقارير أن ربيكا هجمت على التمساح الذي قبض على لاتويا من يدها وساقها، ثم بدأت في ضربه بقبضاتها، لكن ضرباتها على ما يبدو لم تزعج التمساح، لذا استخدمت إصبعها في وكز عينيه، حتى أرخى فكيه عن لاتويا، ثم سبحتا مبتعدتين عن التمساح الذي لم يهاجمهما ثانية.