KOTA KINABALU: A woman had a terrifying surprise when she pulled up an unexpected catch while netting in a river in Sabah’s northern Kudat district on Monday night (July 7).

The incident occurred around 10.30pm at Kampung Tungkang in Sikuati, when the woman accidentally caught a three-metre-long saltwater crocodile entangled in her fishing net along with her usual catch.

Panicked, she screamed for help, prompting nearby villagers to rush over.

Working together, they managed to haul the reptile, weighing about 300kg, to shore.

According to Kudat Malaysian Civil Defence Force officer Capt Abdullah Sabaruddin, the woman then contacted emergency services via the MERS 999 hotline.

“A team from the Kudat District Operations Office was deployed immediately after receiving the alert from the Sabah state operations control centre,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (July 8).

The team, equipped for wildlife capture, arrived at the scene at around 11.06pm to find the crocodile already restrained by villagers.

“For safety and control, our team covered the crocodile’s eyes with a blanket and secured its limbs using two specialised ropes,” he added.

The operation was completed successfully by 1.35am, with no injuries reported.

Abdullah said the crocodile was later handed over to the Sabah Wildlife Department for further action.

He reminded the public to remain vigilant when conducting any activities near rivers or estuaries to avoid similar incidents.