Dad bites crocodile to free his 12-year-old son from its jaws in the Philippines

Man bites croc: Father sinks his teeth into crocodile to free his 12-year-old son from its jaws in the Philippines

  • Diego Abulhasan, 12, attacked by a crocodile while swimming in Philippines
  • His father Tejada Abulhasan jumped into the river with a plank of wood 
  • Hit crocodile with the plank and punched it, but it would not let go of Diego
  • Mr Abulhasan then ‘grabbed its leg and bit as hard as I could like a Rottweiler’
  • The crocodile let go of Diego and boy only suffered minor injuries from incident

A Filipino father rescued his son from a crocodile by biting the dangerous predator in the leg until it let go of the boy.

Diego Abulhasan, 12, had been swimming with his younger brother in a river near the family home in Balabac town, in the Palawan region the Philippines, when a crocodile attacked and dragged him underwater.  

Their father Tejada Abulhasan heard the calls for help, and sprinted the 100 yards from the home to the river and dived in, armed with a plank of wood.  

Survivor: Diego Abulhasan, 12, was attacked by a crocodile and his father came to his rescue, armed with a plank – and his teeth

Mr Abulhasan began battering the killer animal with the plank and repeatedly punching its snout – but it would not let go of Diego. 

In an act of desperation, Mr Abulhasan grabbed hold of the beast and bit into its leg several times ‘like a Rottweiler’.

Miraculously, the crocodile released the boy and swam away in the murky water, and Mr Abulhasan could bring his injured son to shore and take him to hospital

Mr Abulhasan told police that he ‘did not hesitate’ to jump into the river and wrestle the crocodile.

He said: ‘There was so much adrenaline in my body I had no time to think. I was hitting the crocodile and it would not release my boy. I was wrestling the crocodile and we looked in each others eyes.

Hero dad: Tejada Abulhasa, seen left in shorts and t-shirt, hit the crocodile with a plank and punched it in the snout, but when this did not work, he bit it in the leg

Hero dad: Tejada Abulhasa, seen left in shorts and t-shirt, hit the crocodile with a plank and punched it in the snout, but when this did not work, he bit it in the leg

Show me your teeth: Mr Abulhasan fought off the crocodile attack in the river in Balabac, pictured, by 'grabbing its leg and just biting as hard as I could like a Rottweiler dog'

Show me your teeth: Mr Abulhasan fought off the crocodile attack in the river in Balabac, pictured, by ‘grabbing its leg and just biting as hard as I could like a Rottweiler dog’

‘Then out of nowhere I had the idea to bite him. I grabbed his leg and just bit as hard as I could like a Rottweiler dog.’

Diego spent two nights in hospital before being released. He has several scars but no lasting serious injuries.

Superintendent Socrates Faltado, spokesman from the MIMAROPA (Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) regional police said: ‘Fortunately and due to the bravery of his father, the victim did not drown and only suffered wounds from crocodile bites.

‘Investigations revealed that while the victim and his younger brother were cleaning themselves in the river, the crocodile suddenly snapped his left arm and pulled him into the deeper area and dragged his body causing several cuts in the different parts of his body.

‘Accordingly, his younger brother ran and told his father that the victim was bitten and taken by the crocodile. 

‘Immediately, his father ran to the river, came to his rescue and bit the crocodile continuously which made the crocodile released his son.’

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