Nation

Kayakers Describe Horror of Fatal Croc Attack on Guide

Dec 21, 2010 – 10:52 AM
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Lisa Flam

Lisa Flam Contributor

A two-month kayaking expedition on an unexplored whitewater river in Africa would have been the trip of a lifetime, but the journey turned deadly in an instant.

Two American men watched in horror as their South African guide, Hendrik Coetzee, was snatched by a crocodile on the Lukuga River in Congo. They were unharmed and swam to safety after the Dec. 7 attack, their leader lost in the water.

Coetzee, 35, was an experienced guide who blogged about the thrill of traveling on uncharted waters and had urged kayakers never to panic. On the day of the attack, though, there was little time to react, the men recalled today in an interview on NBC's "Today" show.

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"It came from behind," Chris Korbulic, of Rogue River, Ore., said of the crocodile. "We didn't see anything until it was too late."

"My first recognition was hearing Hendrik say, 'Oh my God,'" Ben Stookesberry, of Mount Shasta, Calif., recalled on the show. "I turned and I caught sight of it for maybe another split second before the crocodile ripped Hendrik over."

The American men, friends and experienced kayakers, were taking part in a trip sponsored by outdoor clothing and equipment maker Eddie Bauer to highlight the clean water crisis in Central Africa, NBC said. It was to have ended this week.

The men knew there were dangers. Stookesberry blogged about Coetzee's safety warnings to "stay out of eddies ... because there are 3-ton hippos that will bite you in half," according to NBC.

"Stay off the banks because the crocs are having a bake and might fancy you for lunch," Coetzee told them.

Despite the warnings, the men didn't know what they'd find.

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"This section of Lukuga River was wholly unknown to the outside world," Stookesberry said. "We didn't really know what to expect in terms of wildlife. Sure, we anticipated there might be some crocs and hippos in the river."

Asked if they'd return to the area, Korbulic answered, "At this point, we would probably stay off the Lukuga River out of respect for Hendrik. I think we're certainly interested in going back to the African continent and the Congo for further expeditions and exploration of the water crisis."

In a November blog post, Coetzee wrote about what would be his final trip. "If safe was all I wanted, I would have stayed home. ... This is the nature of the beast: risk," according to NBC.

Coetzee's body has not been recovered. A memorial is planned in January in South Africa, NBC said.
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