A fisherman miraculously survived being attacked by a crocodile in a river in Indonesia.

Zainal Arifin Marpaung, 50, was collecting his fish traps when his boat bumped into the beast lurking beneath the surface of the Sialang Gatap River in North Labuhan Batu Regency on July 9.

Before the villager could react, the predator launched itself at him, sinking its teeth into his right thigh and dragging him into the murky waters.

Zainal's frantic screams alerted the other fishermen, who were around 160 feet away. They raced to his aid and battered the ferocious reptile with weapons until it eventually released its grip.

Covered in blood and barely conscious, Zainal was hauled into a small boat and rushed back to the village.

Footage shows the father of four lying on his left side as he was carried on a stretcher while dozens of shocked residents watched at the dock.

The horror attack left a gruesome gaping wound on his thigh and waist.

Village chief Syafaruddin said: 'The victim is currently still receiving outpatient treatment, his right thigh has a torn wound that needed more than fifty stitches and his waist has a bite wound.

'Since 2024, as far as I know, there have been four attacks on the river. Two people died, one was left with a leg disability, and this latest case is still being treated.

'We've often urged them to be careful. We can't forbid them, because it's their profession and how they earn a living.'

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.

Conservationists believe that crocodiles have been driven further inland closer to villages due to overfishing reducing the crocodiles' natural food supplies combined with habitat loss from the development of coastal areas into farms.

Widespread tin mining has also caused villagers to encroach on the crocodiles' natural habitats, pushing the creatures closer toward people's homes.

With uneducated locals in the developing country still using rivers for bathing and primitive fishing, the deadly combination of factors has led to rising numbers of crocodile attacks.