KUCHING: A fishing outing turned tragic on Friday night when a 33-year-old man was believed to have been attacked and dragged underwater by a crocodile while fishing with his father-in-law near the riverbank along Jalan Matang-Kampung Paroh.
“Bapa!” – Jacob Tuan’s cry still echoes in the mind of 50-year-old Eddie Rengkang, who recalled the heartbreaking moment his son-in-law shouted out to him before being dragged away by a crocodile into the river.
Eddie, who hails from Kapit, never imagined that a regular fishing outing along the riverbank near Jalan Matang–Kampung Paroh would end in tragedy.
His son-in-law, Jacob, whom he regarded as his own son was taken by a crocodile.
Speaking to reporters at the scene yesterday, Eddie said they were fishing as usual that night.
He had long known the river well – it was his usual fishing spot, a place for rest, and where he shared a common passion with Jacob.
“I cast the line into the river, and soon a catfish took the bait. We were happy – but the joy didn’t last long.
“The hook got stuck, and we couldn’t reel it in. We didn’t realise something much bigger was waiting,” he said.
As the hook was snagged, both of them entered the water. It was only knee-deep. Calm. No sign of danger lurking below.
Suddenly, from an unexpected direction, a crocodile lunged at his son-in-law. The attack was swift.
Eddie was nearly struck by the crocodile’s tail himself – and had he not dodged in time, he too might have been pulled under.
“If I had been hit by that tail… I don’t think I’d be here now,” he said as his face was still visibly traumatised.
He spun around at Jacob’s cry, only to realise it was already too late.
“When I looked back, he was gone. But his voice called ‘Bapa!’ still haunts me. Then he went under… it grabbed his leg. The crocodile was huge, about the size of a door,” he said sadly.
According to him, that night was the third time Jacob had expressed interest in joining him to fish in that area.
“I arrived at around 5:00 pm. He came at 6:00 pm after work. He called and asked where I was. I said I was fishing at our usual spot. He told me he wanted to join,” Eddie said.
When the rescue team launched the Search and Rescue (SAR) operation that night, the atmosphere grew tense.
On the dark, slow-moving river surface, numerous crocodile eyes appeared, glowing red under the team’s lights.
Their presence not only heightened the tension but increased the risk for the rescuers.
To Eddie, crocodiles were not strangers to the river.
In all his fishing experience, he had often encountered them. But never had there been an incident – let alone an attack.
“I often saw crocodiles in this river. We never disturbed them, and they never disturbed us. Maybe this was just fate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Linda Ali, 30, the victim’s wife, said she never imagined that the phone call from her father that night would bring the most heartbreaking news of her life.
“I found out about this last night after my father called. I went straight there,” she said softly.
Her expression was sombre, her body frozen in disbelief, still struggling to accept that her husband – the man she had relied on for so long – was now gone in such a tragic way.
She said Jacob hadn’t shown any strange behaviour or noticeable changes in recent days.
“It’s just that lately, we used to spend time at my cousin’s house. But over the last two weeks, whenever I asked, he didn’t want to go,” she said tearfully.
To her, he was not just the family’s breadwinner, but also a friend and a constant companion through thick and thin.
“He was a loving and good husband. Before he went fishing, he told me. That night… he said he wanted to go with my father. That was the last time we spoke.
“His loss has hit me hard. I’ve lost the person I depended on,” said Linda.
