The parents of a three-year-old boy who was injured in a crocodile enclosure at a Cambridgeshire zoo have thanked donors who have raised more than £25,000 for the family’s recovery and rehab costs
A three-year-old lad who was injured in a zoo’s crocodile enclosure is facing further surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation, as his parents expressed their gratitude to donors who raised £25,000 for the family.
The parents revealed they have been “living at the hospital” and their son has undergone five surgeries since the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, in Cambridgeshire, on June 18.
A fundraising page established to aid the boy’s recovery and rehabilitation, as well as to provide the family with financial stability while they support him in hospital, has now amassed more than £25,000. An update from the parents, shared on the fundraising page, said: “We are extremely grateful for everyone’s generosity.
“We could never thank you enough for the support you have given our family in this horrible time.” They added: “We have been living at the hospital for two weeks now and our son has undergone five surgeries.”
They acknowledged that he will need to undergo at least two more surgeries and that the past two weeks have been “a very uncertain and unsettling time”.
The update continued: “His rehabilitation journey is uncertain but we do know that it won’t be a short process. The money that has been donated so far has been used to pay for our expenses. We are both currently away from work and the time in which this will need to be the case is unknown.”
They added: “The donations have helped ease the pressure of these expenses so we are extremely grateful to everyone. Further donations will be used to support our son’s rehabilitation and to give back to the hospital who have helped us in many ways during this challenging time. Thank you.”
A 30-year-old Norfolk man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident, but was later released on bail as police deemed him “not fit for interview”. The suspect in the case is reported to have learning difficulties and had been on an outing with carers.
Police confirmed that the boy remains in a “stable condition” at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge after being “injured by a crocodile” when he found himself in the enclosure.
On Friday, the zoo’s owners commended the “incredible speed and determination” of those who came to his aid. Johnsons of Old Hurst revealed in a social media post that they were “alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into one of our crocodile enclosures” on June 18.
“Everyone who was on site that day acted with incredible speed and determination,” the Instagram post read. “Within minutes of the first radio call, the child had been rescued from the enclosure and was receiving first aid.
“The emergency services arrived very quickly, supported by the MAGPAS Air Ambulance, and we cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, compassion and dedication in such difficult circumstances.”
Johnsons of Old Hurst extended their “heartfelt thanks to the visitors who stepped forward to help, including off-duty paramedics and police officers”. They praised their “calm and immediate actions made a real difference”.
The attraction stated: “We are immensely proud of our own staff, who responded without hesitation and did everything they could to help and support the child until the emergency services took over.
“The kindness we have received from our local community and from people across the country has been overwhelming. Every message of support, every kind word and every expression of concern has meant a great deal to our family and our team during an incredibly difficult time.
“Thank you for standing with us. Above all, our thoughts remain with the young boy and his family. We continue to hope and pray for his speedy recovery, and ask that they are given the privacy, compassion and support they need at this time.”
The message was signed off: “The Johnsons.”
In a statement released through police on Wednesday, the boy’s family said they wished to “thank the staff at the zoo who rescued our son from the enclosure”.
Police were summoned to the zoo at 1.24pm by the ambulance service following reports that a three year old boy had sustained serious injuries.
Cambridgeshire Police reported that the boy “sustained serious injuries while in the enclosure” and “was pulled out by staff from the zoo”.
Tracey Johnson, the zoo’s co-owner, reportedly leapt into the enclosure to rescue the child. You can donate to the fundraiser here.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.