A teenager was decapitated by a savage killer crocodile while he was fishing with friends in a volcanic lake in Indonesia.

Farjan Idham, 15, was with several classmates hunting for fish when he was ripped apart by the reptile at Lake Tolire in Ternate City, North Maluku on August 2.

He reportedly sat on a log to rest, unaware of the fearsome predator stalking him in the water. The beast then pounced and yanked the helpless boy under the surface before he could react.

His friends said they tried to help the victim but were hit by the large crocodile's powerful tail. They then retreated back tothe shore fearing they could be attacked.

Authorities immediately carried out a search and rescue operation, which lasted for three days despite the boy's body being seen floating around the lake.

Officials cited the presence of crocodiles near his corpse, and the lake's steep cliffs as the causes for the delay. They said one crocodile kept appearing next to the body and pushing it around the lake.

Ternate Search and Rescue Agency head Fathur Rahman said in an interview with local media on Wednesday: 'The victim's body has not been evacuated even though it has been seen appearing on the surface of the water because it is still being carried by crocodiles into the middle of the lake.'

Officers finally pulled out Farjan's body on August 4. Both of his arms had been torn off, while his head had almost been severed from his neck, Fathur said.

Farjan's remains were taken to a funeral home before being turned over to his family.

Lake Tolire has been temporarily closed to tourists following the tragic incident.


The Indonesian archipelago is home to 14 types of crocs - with a large population of extremely large and violent estuarine crocodiles that flourish in the region's climate.

Conservation officials blame habitat degradation due to blast fishing and the conversion of coastal areas into farms for driving the creatures out of the wild and closer to villages.

With locals in the developing country still using rivers for bathing and primitive fishing, the combination of factors has caused a 'perfect storm' and lead to rising numbers of crocodile attacks on humans.