This is the dramatic moment a boy was narrowly saved from a crocodile thrashing him in a 'death roll' in Indonesia.

Muhammad Zaki Ramadani, 10, was walking home with his friends when the 12ft beast latched onto his torso on Sunday evening.

The reptile yanked the small child from the riverside bridge in East Kalimantan as his pals screamed for help, alerting several fishermen, including Andi Ijur, 35, who rushed to fend off the croc.

Footage shows terrified residents crying in panic as the men battled to prise the enraged crocodile's jaws open.

The predator became increasingly violent during the struggle, slamming Zaki's small body against a house pillar as it tried to perform a vicious death roll. It soon retreated as more men plunged into the river to join the fray.

A shocked Zaki was dragged back onto the riverbank. He suffered scratches and bruises across his torso and face and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Housewife Hujania, 35, a neighbour who witnessed the horror croc attack, said: 'I heard a child crying and the water was gurgling. When I came out, I saw Zaki in the crocodile's mouth, bitten on the left side of his body. I could hardly believe my eyes!'

Fisherman Suyatno, 67, said he did not hesitate to jump into the river after hearing his cries for help.

He said: 'I saw the crocodile spin Zaki around three times. I immediately jumped and grabbed the crocodile's tail, trying to break free, but the crocodile was so strong that it managed to escape my grasp.

'The water was murky, and we desperately tried to pry the crocodile's mouth open with our bare hands. It felt like time was passing very slowly. Finally, with the last of our strength, we managed to free the victim from its deadly grip.'

Villagers said the river in East Kutai Regency was swollen from the high tide, which may have caused the crocodile to wander near the community.

Bengalon Police Chief, Adjunct Commissioner Asriadi, on Tuesday visited Zaki at the Kudungga Regional Hospital, where the youngster was still recovering from his wounds.

He warned locals: 'Families and the community must increase their vigilance. Children's activities around rivers, especially at night, are very risky due to the increased potential for attacks by wild animals.'

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.