A crocodile was caught after attacking a teenage girl in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, on Sunday afternoon (May 10).

The 16.5ft long beast pounced on Devi Binti Sulaiman, 17, while she was cooling off with friends in the Sebamban River.

Devi terrified pals screamed as the croc clamped its jaws around her arm and she was dragged underwater. They called for help and hundreds of villagers gathered along the river to search for Devi.

But tragically, the teenager's lifeless body was found five hours later and 100 metres from where she was attacked.

Bizarrely for a crocodile attack, the victim's body was found intact and there were no significant tears to her flesh. Villagers who caught the massive reptile on Friday (May 15) using chickens as bait soon realised that the crocodile was missing all of its front teeth due to old age or illness.

"No wonder the victim's body was in tact, the crocodile was toothless," said Police Commissioner Apri, from the Loban River Police Department.

The reptile was tied up and pulled ashore. Hundreds of locals gathered along the river bank to watch as the reptile was dragged away on the dusty ground.

Police believe that the crocodile attacked Devi and held onto her arm to drag her underwater, using its natural instinct to drown victims. But due to the condition of its mouth, the crocodile was unable to eat the victim and then let her go when she was already dead.

Police Commissioner Apri added: "The doctors said the victim's blood vessels had burst due to being under water for too long.''

The head of the Tanah Bumbu Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Eryanto Rais, said: ''When found, the victim's condition was very critical. She was bleeding from her nose, mouth and hand. Officers rushed her to the nearest community health center, but they could not save her.''

Head of the Conservation Section Region III of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency of South Kalimantan, Nikmat Hakim Pasaribu, said the crocodile had now been entrusted to the Jhonlin Conservation Institute.

The institution is located in Tanah Bumbu Regency and specialises in crocodile breeding.

"The crocodile was captured by residents while it was still alive. We picked it up and then we left it to the Jhonlin conservation agency," Hakim said.