In a tragic incident, a pastor was killed by a crocodile while conducting a mass baptism ceremony in an African Lake. Rev. Docho Eshte died after the crocodile jumped from the water and attacked the 45-year-old's legs, back and hands. According to the BBC News, the pastor was presiding the baptism ceremony for about 80 people on Sunday morning at Lake Abaya in southern Ethiopia.
Though the local fishermen, congregants and other bystanders tried to save the clergyman, they only managed to get his dead body. According to reports, a police officer on the spot tried to prevent the tragedy using the fishing nets but all his efforts went in vain. The incident has sent shockwaves among the local residents.
A report on Daily Telegraph explained that the local baptism services in Africa are usually conducted on the lake and the participants will be fully or partially immersed in water—symbolising the baptism of Jesus Christ. However, this is not the first time such crocodile attacks in Africa are making global headlines. Often, there is news about women being attacked and killed by crocodiles while washing clothes. Indeed, it has become an everyday occurrence as the spotting chances are very little in the lake's murky waters.
According to experts, the beautiful Lake Abaya, Ethiopia's second largest lake, has become more aggressive towards humans due to acute shortage of fishes caused by overfishing. Experts predict that Pastor Docho might have been attacked by a Nile Crocodile, which can grow up to six metres in length and 1,000 kg in weight. Approximately, the crocodile is responsible for 300 attacks in Africa every year. Similarly, during the Ethiopian floods in 2006, many incidents of crocodile attacks were reported across the country. Even the government boats came under attack hindering the rescue operations.
A similar incident in Zimbabwe took place recently where a woman's hand was bitten off by the crocodile just five days before her wedding. However, the couple went ahead with the wedding schedule and married at a local hospital.
