This archive report was first published on 18 April 2020.
On April 18, 2020, a harrowing incident unfolded along the Runde River in Zimbabwe, where a 30-year-old mother, Maurina Musisinyana, risked her life to save her three-year-old son, Gideon, from the deadly grip of a Nile crocodile.
According to Maurina, she had left her children playing under an umbrella on the riverbank while she went fishing nearby. However, she soon heard a blood-curdling scream and rushed back to find the umbrella floating in the water, with the crocodile dragging her son away.
Without hesitation, Maurina jumped onto the beast and used her fingers to block its nose, a technique she had learned from the elders. This clever move forced the crocodile to release its grip on Gideon, allowing Maurina to snatch her son to safety.
However, the ordeal took a toll on both mother and son. Gideon was rushed to the hospital with severe bleeding and facial injuries, but fortunately, he made a full recovery.
Maurina, from Chihosi village, Chiredzi, credited her knowledge of crocodile behavior for her quick thinking. She explained, “I pressed its nose hard, a tip I learnt from the elders long back. If you suffocate a crocodile from its nose it loses its strength and that is exactly what I did.”
The Runde River is home to numerous Nile crocodiles, which can grow up to 20ft long and weigh up to 120 stone. These reptiles are responsible for attacking over 200 people annually, making them a formidable force in the region.
Watch the dramatic rescue in the video below:
