The elderly man did not realize the crocodile was real until it was too late.
There are accidents where we sometimes don’t know whether to react with “sad” or “haha”, and this is one such incident. An elderly man in the Philippines was severely injured by a crocodile while attempting to take a selfie with it, notably believing it to be a plastic display model.
During a visit to Amaya View amusement park in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, on November 10 to celebrate his birthday with family, Nehemias Chipada, 68, spotted what he thought was a lifelike model of a crocodile. He decided to climb down to take a selfie with this “model” and did not realize that the 3.5-meter crocodile was real until he got close enough to… pat its head and was subsequently bitten on the hand.
Climbing down to take a selfie with this ‘model’ without realizing it was a real crocodile.
Video footage shows Nehemias panicking and screaming as the crocodile attempted to drag him into the water. Fortunately, he managed to escape, but he was seriously injured. A nurse reported that he underwent multiple surgeries. According to hospital sources, the man suffered broken bones, had eight wounds on his arm and thigh that required stitches, and even had a crocodile tooth embedded in his flesh.
Nehemias’s daughter, Mercy Joy Chipada, stated: “There were no warning signs prohibiting entry into this area. If there had been, we would never have gone there.”
The amusement park has agreed to cover Nehemias’s medical expenses, but a representative from the park stated that the area where the crocodile attack occurred is off-limits to visitors.
“We do not agree with the claim that the park was negligent,” said Amaya View’s executive director, Candy Unabia. “That is a restricted area. There are signs and continuous reminders from our guides.”
Nehemias Chipada and his family have decided not to sue the amusement park after reaching an agreement.
