Health replace on boy, 3, ‘thrown into crocodile pit’ after ’12-hour miracle surgical procedure’

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: The family of a three-year-old boy seriously injured in a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in Cambridgeshire say he is ‘smiling again’

A three-year-old lad who was seriously injured in a zoo’s crocodile enclosure has undergone seven surgeries in hospital, and his family have expressed their amazement at his progress, stating he is “smiling again”.

Johnsons of Old Hurst, located near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, revealed in a social media post that it was “alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into one of our crocodile enclosures” on June 18.

A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident and was later released on bail as police stated he was “assessed as not being fit for interview”.

The suspect in the case reportedly has learning difficulties and had been on an outing with carers, prompting an investigation into his care.

In an update shared on a fundraising page on Wednesday, the child’s family expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received and said the boy is now “talking to the nurses, playing using his feet and smiling again”.

An explanation on the page, penned by the boy’s grandmother, mentioned that his parents remain by his side in a Cambridge hospital.

“Today our son had his seventh surgery,” they shared, in an update on the GoFundMe page set up to provide financial assistance to the family and aid the boy’s recovery and rehabilitation.

“In that surgery the surgeons completed a nerve graft on his left arm. They harvested a nerve from his leg to replace part of the nerve that was missing in his left arm.

“Over time, this nerve will hopefully embed and help our son to regain some function in his left hand. We won’t know whether the nerve graft has been successful until tests can be carried out in a few months’ time.”

The latest update provided additional information about the youngster’s treatment, including that he endured a 12-hour procedure after being rushed to hospital on the day of the incident.

“Shortly after we arrived (in hospital on June 18), our son underwent a 12-hour surgery where the surgeons performed miraculous things,” the post said.

“They were faced with tendon damage, nerve damage, blood vessel damage, broken bones and severe tissue damage in both his arms, neck, head and face.

“Those were the worst 12 hours of our lives as before that we were signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation. We were unsure if our son was going to make it and that was the worst feeling in the world.

“Four weeks later and the cheeky little boy that we love so much is talking to the nurses, playing using his feet and smiling again. We are amazed at how far he has come.”

They revealed they are “not at the end of our journey” but “hopeful” the latest procedure “will be the last for now which means if everything goes well we will be able to go home soon”.

The family said: “Once home, we face new challenges shaped by his recovery and rehabilitation physically and psychologically. Both of us are taking time off work temporarily to support our son during his rehabilitation.

“We don’t know what recovery and rehabilitation looks like at this moment in time but we know our son needs us more than ever.”

They concluded the post by expressing gratitude for the well-wishes and support, stating they are “forever grateful”. To date, over £80,000 has been contributed to the fundraising campaign which you can find here.

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