'They are distraught': Family jumped into crocodile pit to save toddler
The family who own the Johnsons Zoo at Old Hurst, in Huntington, UK, jumped into the crocodile enclosure to rescue the three-year-old boy, after a stranger threw the toddler into the pit last Thursday.
Mother, father and son all jumped in and grabbed the toddler after a visitor threw the child into the crocodile enclosure.
The boy sustained serious injuries and received medical care at the scene before being taken to hospital where he reportedly remains in serious condition.
The Johnsons are now being credited with saving his life.
According to The Sunday Times in the UK, Tracey Johnson, her husband, Andrew, and one of the couple’s sons, Edward, all jumped into the enclosure to rescue the boy.
Tracey reportedly went in first, followed by her husband and her son.
They are understood to have taken the boy away from the crocodile and brought him out to safety.
A person who lives near the zoo told the Telegraph: “I’ve heard Tracey jumped in. She’s definitely a hero.”
“We mustn’t underestimate how much of a difference Tracey made,” Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, said, quoted by the Daily Mirror.
“She was first in there. She jumped in and dealt with an awful situation. She was then joined by her husband and son. It was a team effort.
“They are a resilient family but they are distraught. Their thoughts and concerns are for the child.”
The team has announced that, out of respect for the victim, the Tropical House will remain closed until further notice.
A 30-year-old man, who was not known to the child, has been arrested following the incident on suspicion of attempted murder. He has been released on bail after being deemed unfit to be interviewed.
Police stated that inquiries into the incident are still ongoing. Authorities are said to be looking into the role of a vulnerable adult’s carers.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary officers are understood to be assessing the two carers’ actions after the 30-year-old man picked up the child and threw him into the enclosure.
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