In December 2010, two kayakers could only watch helplessly as their friend, renowned South African explorer Hendri Coetzee, was dragged underwater by a massive crocodile, estimated to weigh two tonnes, in an incident they captured on film. Coetzee, along with fellow adventurers Chris Korbulic and Ben Stookesberry, was on an expedition to explore the Lukuga River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Their goal was to be the first to navigate its whitewater sections, having just finished an initial stretch on the Rusizi River when the attack happened.
Aware of the risks posed by crocodiles and hippos in the river, the group attempted to stay close together. However, at a section where the river spanned about 100 feet, they became separated. Coetzee was paddling in the center, with Stookesberry in front and Korbulic behind, when a large crocodile lunged from the left side of Coetzee’s kayak.
Recalling the attack, Korbulic told the Associated Press: “I glanced over and saw, just at the edge of my vision, the crocodile rise out of the water and grab Coetzee’s left shoulder. It pulled him underwater instantly. We were both in shock, utterly horrified by what had just happened.” The crocodile, approximately 15 feet long and weighing two tonnes, capsized Coetzee’s kayak as it dragged him from the cockpit.
Unable to save Coetzee and concerned for their own safety, Stookesberry and Korbulic paddled to a nearby village. Locals there confirmed the estimated size of the crocodile, and the two men called for help via radio. Stookesberry’s urgent message was, “This is Ben, can you hear me? We’ve had a terrible accident. Hendri was just taken by a crocodile.”
Though villagers later recovered Coetzee’s kayak, it showed no signs of damage, and his body was never found. His trag!c death was documented in the National Geographic special Man-Eater of The Congo, which includes footage of the attack but does not show Coetzee’s final moments or the crocodile taking him underwater.