Man from Kupang Missing After Being Attacked by Crocodile While Swimming in Naus Amfoang Estuary
A man named Mindis was reported missing after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming in the Naus Estuary, Soliu Village, Amfoang Barat Laut District, Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). As of now, the 28-year-old man has not been found.
“The victim has not yet been found. The search operation was continued this morning,” said the Head of the Kupang Search and Rescue Office, Mexianus Bekabel, to detikBali, Sunday (17/5/2026).
Mexianus explained that the incident began when Mindis and a friend went to the location to swim around 08.30 WIT on Saturday (16/5). Mindis then took off his clothes and walked towards the edge of the estuary.
Suddenly, a crocodile came and attacked, dragging Mindis into the water. After that, his panicked friend tried to search for Mindis. Because it was unsuccessful, he then reported the incident to several residents and then to the police.
The family also reported the incident to the Kupang Search and Rescue Office to get help with the search. A total of nine SAR personnel were immediately deployed to the location.
The SAR team arrived at the location around 22:25 WIT, after traveling approximately 130 kilometers (km) with an estimated travel time of five hours. The SAR team also brought one unit of a rubber boat, a 30 PK outboard motor, land SAR equipment, communication tools, medical equipment, and other supporting equipment.
The SAR team immediately coordinated with the Amfoang Utara Police Sector and the victim’s family. After that, the team worked hard to carry out search operations together with personnel from the Kupang Regency BPBD (Regional Disaster Management Agency), residents, police, and officials from Soliu Village. However, the results are still nil.
“Please support us so that the victim can be found as soon as possible,” said Mexianus.
For information, Naus Estuary is a crocodile habitat. In 2018, an elementary school student was also attacked by a crocodile at the same location. Until now, the child has not been found.
The terror of crocodiles preying on residents’ livestock has also often occurred in recent years. In December 2022, a giant crocodile was caught by residents after preying on their cattle.