Crocodile Jumps out of Lake During Baptism, Kills Pastor

A pastor baptizing followers in Ethiopia was killed when a crocodile "jumped out of the lake" and attacked him.

Docho Eshete, a Protestant pastor in Ethiopia, was killed Sunday, June 3, after a crocodile fatally attacked him while he was baptizing followers at Lake Abaya in Arba Minch town's Merkeb Tabya district, according to the BBC.

Around 80 people were attending the service when the fatal attack occurred, with witnesses reporting that the crocodile "jumped out of the lake" as Eshete was carrying out a baptism. The reptile reportedly bit the pastor's legs, back, and hands, and attempted to drag Eshete further into the water, but onlookers used fishing nets to prevent the crocodile from pulling Eshete any further.

"He baptised the first person and he passed on to another one. All of a sudden, a crocodile jumped out of the lake and grabbed the pastor," Ketema Kairo said.

Despite their efforts, onlookers were unable to save Eshete's life and the crocodile ended up escaping.

This is not the first crocodile attack on the continent in recent months. In May, 25-year-old former tennis player Zanele Ndlovu was kayaking in Zambezi River above Victoria Falls with her fiancé when a large crocodile attacked their inflatable kayak and deflated it. The crocodile attacked Ndlovu, managing to tear off her right arm, and bit her left hand before her fiancé, Jamie Fox, was able to fight it off.

Ndlovu was rushed to a nearby hospital in Zimbabwe, where doctors performed surgery on her to save her life. Given that the attack occurred just before Ndlovu and Fox were set to marry, the two wed in the hospital's chapel, and it was believed that Ndlovu would still be able to play tennis.

"It is a quite remarkable love story and it really does show their love for each other. The crocodile attack made no difference. Their feelings and love for each other are even stronger than before if anything," a witness of the ceremony said at the time.

In December 2017, a newly married bride on her honeymoon had a terrifying encounter with a nurse shark while honeymooning in the Caribbean. While snorkeling with the creatures, which are known for being docile, when got a bit too friendly and latched onto her arm, likely mistaking it for food.

The woman, Sarah Illig, only suffered minor injuries from the incident, which was caught on camera, and was treated on scene.