Boy’s body still missing after croc attack
Family desperate for closure
The crocodile, which had been hiding in the reeds, attacked, and while the other boy managed to escape, Mudumbi was tragically pulled into the river's depths.
It has been more than two weeks since nine-year-old Richard Mwandu Mudumbi was attacked and killed by a crocodile, yet his body has not been found. The situation has left the boy’s family devasted and desperate for closure.
Mudumbi was last seen on 2 April, two days before his 10th birthday, around 12:00 when a crocodile attacked him and pulled him into the Kavango River. He was a grade two learner at Rundjarara Combined School.
According to the family, Mudumbi and another boy from the community were herding goats as part of their daily chores when they drove the goats to the riverside to drink water. The two then also decided to quench their thirst.
The crocodile, which had been hiding in the reeds, attacked, and while the other boy managed to escape, Mudumbi was tragically pulled into the river’s depths.
The other boy ran and called for help, but it was too late. There have been no signs of the crocodile or Mudumbi’s body since.
Despite several searches, environment ministry staff and members of law enforcement have failed to locate the boy’s body.
‘Nowhere to be found’
The ordeal was narrated by Innocentia Muhoko, the deceased’s grandmother.
“It is very bad for us. We cannot host a funeral for him because his body is nowhere to be found,” she said.
Muhoko, along with two other family members, took this reporter to the spot where Mudumbi was last seen. The distance between their house and where the incident took place is about 2 km.
She explained that Mudumbi only attempted to drink water from the river because the house was far, as they have access to potable water.
She added that the family has not given up on the search as older boys in the family and others from the community still go out to look for Mudumbi’s body.
According to Muhoko, the area is known for crocodile attacks, with about four people having been attacked in the past.
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Mudumbi was last seen on 2 April, two days before his 10th birthday, around 12:00 when a crocodile attacked him and pulled him into the Kavango River. He was a grade two learner at Rundjarara Combined School.
According to the family, Mudumbi and another boy from the community were herding goats as part of their daily chores when they drove the goats to the riverside to drink water. The two then also decided to quench their thirst.
The crocodile, which had been hiding in the reeds, attacked, and while the other boy managed to escape, Mudumbi was tragically pulled into the river’s depths.
The other boy ran and called for help, but it was too late. There have been no signs of the crocodile or Mudumbi’s body since.
Despite several searches, environment ministry staff and members of law enforcement have failed to locate the boy’s body.
‘Nowhere to be found’
The ordeal was narrated by Innocentia Muhoko, the deceased’s grandmother.
“It is very bad for us. We cannot host a funeral for him because his body is nowhere to be found,” she said.
Muhoko, along with two other family members, took this reporter to the spot where Mudumbi was last seen. The distance between their house and where the incident took place is about 2 km.
She explained that Mudumbi only attempted to drink water from the river because the house was far, as they have access to potable water.
She added that the family has not given up on the search as older boys in the family and others from the community still go out to look for Mudumbi’s body.
According to Muhoko, the area is known for crocodile attacks, with about four people having been attacked in the past.
[email protected]
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