Jeffery Masing Win had been bathing in Sungai Semanok, Tatau with his older brother at 8.30pm that day when he was attacked, the state’s fire and rescue department said in a report by Berita TV3.

A department spokesman said the older brother attempted to save Jeffery by lunging at the reptile, but failed to stop it from dragging the man underwater and disappearing.

The four-day search and rescue operation came to an end today when villagers managed to trap and catch the crocodile at 9.25am.

A team of rescuers comprising firefighters, police, Civil Defence Force and Sarawak Forestry Corporation personnel rushed to the location and cut the reptile’s carcass open at 10.30am.

“Several human parts were found in the animal’s belly. The operation ended at 11.10am and the human remains were handed over to police for further action,” said the spokesman.