Chipinge teenage girl loses foot heel in crocodile attack

Story by Tamuka Charakupa

13-year-old Finance Chaitamwari from Makumba Village under Chief Mapungwana in Chipinge is lucky to be alive after escaping the cruel jaws of a crocodile along Budzi River which left her with serious foot injury.

The incident, which occured on Sunday morning while Finance was doing laundry, left her faced with a posssible foot amputation.

“I was doing laundry as usual along Budzi River when I suddenly felt that something had bitten my foot. While in the middle of confusion, I found myself being drowned deep into the river. As I screamed, my mother who was in a close by garden rushed to my rescue. She fought the crocodile until it released my leg and we got out of the river bleeding,” she said.

It has since emerged that crocodile attacks are common along the Budzi River.

“This is not the first time that such an attack has happened. Less than five years ago one person was killed at the same spot meaning it’s now a deadly scene yet we rely on Budzi River for water for domestic use,” said the survivors’s aunt, Ms Chaitamwari.

Chipinge District Hospital medical practitioner, Dr Charles Magutorima described the patient’s condition as stable.

“The patient sustained a serious left foot injury, but her condition is stable. We are going to dress the wound, give her some antibiotics then take her to Mutare General Hospital for further treatment,” he said.

Meanwhile, a search team comprising environment officers from the Chipinge Rural District Council as well as the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is hunting down the crocodile.