A vicious crocodile killed a beachgoer and swam near the Indonesian shore whilst clutching the 51-year-old’s lifeless body in its jaws. 

The killer reptile lurked beneath the surface of the turquoise waters as Sadarwinata, 51, paddled near Talise Beach in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia on March 27.  

Locals claim they screamed upon seeing the deadly crocodile’s silhouette emerge, as it darted towards the unsuspecting man. 

Their desperate pleas were drowned out by his paddling, as the fearsome predator launched its attack. 

Horrified onlookers watched as the dangerous creature caught up to the swimmer before clamping down on him and thrashing him in a brutal assault.

The local rescue team said they received a report of the fatal attack at 7:15 am, whilst they launched a thermal drone at around 8am to monitor the victim’s movements.

Gruesome aerial footage shows the crocodile holding Sadarwinata’s corpse in its mouth as it drifted near the coast.

Deny Abrahams, senior commissioner of the city police, said: ‘According to eyewitness statements, the victim was swimming too close to the crocodile that was already visible around the location. They shouted to warn him, but the victim was in the water and didn’t hear.

‘The rescue efforts were carried out swiftly by the joint team. One of the members of the Central Sulawesi Police Mobile Brigade Corps was even forced to shoot the crocodile to make it release the victim.’

Officers collected Sadarwinata’s body from the sea, and he was later taken to the Bhyangkara Hospital for a post-mortem exam.

Police said conservationists were at the scene to prevent similar crocodile attacks, whilst warning visitors to be vigilant when swimming at the beach.

The Indonesian archipelago is home to 14 types of crocodiles, with a large population of extremely large and violent estuarine crocodiles that flourish in the region’s climate.

Conservationists believe that crocodiles have been driven further inland, closer to villages, due to overfishing reducing the crocodiles’ natural food supplies, combined with habitat loss from the development of coastal areas into farms.

Widespread tin mining has also caused villagers to encroach on the crocodiles’ natural habitats, pushing the creatures closer toward people’s homes.

With locals in the developing country still using rivers for bathing and primitive fishing, the deadly combination of factors has led to rising numbers of crocodile attacks.