Kendrapara, June 25: A partially blind elderly man from Kendrapara district has become the talk of the town after surviving a terrifying encounter with a 10-foot-long saltwater crocodile armed with nothing but his wits and courage.
The incident occurred in Arunnagar village under Baulakani panchayat in Mahakalapada block. Prasant Mandal, while performing his morning ablutions at the Ramchandi river ghat, was suddenly attacked by the reptile. Displaying incredible presence of mind, Mandal fought the crocodile for nearly 15 minutes and survived the ordeal.
According to eyewitness reports and Mandal himself, the crocodile tried to drag him into deeper water. However, he managed to fend it off by jabbing at its eyes with his hand, forcing the creature to loosen its grip.
“I was bathing when the crocodile suddenly emerged and dragged me in. It let go of my leg but then bit my left hand. Somehow, I jabbed its eyes with my right hand, and it finally let go,” Mandal recounted, still shaken by the close call.
His wife, Prabhati, confirmed the story and described the incident as nothing short of miraculous. “He’s blind in one eye, so he couldn’t see the crocodile coming. After fighting it off, he collapsed on the riverbank. Later, we rushed him to the hospital when we saw the bite marks,” she said, visibly emotional.
Mandal is currently receiving treatment at the local community health centre and is reported to be in stable condition, according to hospital sources.
