Twenty-three-year-old Shadreck Vitto had been in hiding for three days after stealing four goats in his village of Chikwawa, southern Malawi.
He was spotted by residents in Lazaro Village. The furious villagers chased him, hoping to teach him a life lesson. They trapped him on the banks of Maperera River, and he was faced with two options — either face the beating or take a chance in the waters.
Almost immediately after he jumped in, Shadreck was attacked by two crocodiles that mauled his shoulder and legs.
According to Chikwawa Police Station spokesman, Constable Foster Benjamin, Shadreck screamed and fiercely wrestled the crocodiles.
Kind-hearted people came to his rescue and rushed him to nearby Chikwawa District Hospital.
Benjamin said Shadreck’s condition is stable, said the report.