FOGI VILLAGE, MALUKU PROVINCE, INDONESIA – MARCH 12, 2025 Forty-three-year-old Tarti Kolengsusu died after being attacked by a crocodile while crossing the Air Biak River in the Indonesian village of Fogi. The woman had gone with three female friends to collect water spinach, and while making their way to the opposite bank, she was the last to swim across.
According to witnesses, the woman called for help during the attack. Her sister and others present tried to pull her back to shore, but the crocodile dragged her underwater, and their efforts were unsuccessful. Local residents then launched a search, and her body was found approximately two hours later.
Following the tragedy, police urged residents to exercise extreme caution when traveling near the river. The area is known to be home to saltwater crocodiles, which are considered among the largest and most dangerous reptiles in the world. Attacks on people have been reported repeatedly in some parts of Indonesia, especially in places where people enter rivers for fishing, swimming, or collecting plants.
