The Boy Who Fought a Crocodile—and Won

Growing up near the Shangani River in Zimbabwe, 13-year-old Lungisani knew the dangers that lurked in and around the water: strong currents, treacherous slippery rocks, and vicious crocodiles. 

But when he found himself in the mouth of a relentless crocodile, he couldn’t believe what was happening to him. Today, more than a year later, it’s an experience he’s still trying to process.

The Fight to Survive

One day, Lungisani and his friends became thirsty while herding cattle in their village and went to the river for a drink. But when the crocodile grabbed him by his leg and began pulling him deeper into the water, all his friends ran away in fear, leaving him to wrestle the giant reptile alone. 

“One moment, I was just standing in the river helping my friends to dig a small well, and in a split second, a crocodile was dragging me by my leg,” Lungisani recalls. 

After moments that felt like hours, Lungisani’s quick thinking saved his life. He managed to grab the roots of a nearby tree, and finally, the crocodile released its deadly hold. 

“At that moment, I felt nothing until I looked at my leg,” Lungisani says. “My leg was broken, and I was covered in blood.”

An adult nearby brought Lungisani home to his father. Later that day, he was taken to a local hospital, which provided first aid and a blood transfusion but couldn’t offer much more help. 

His leg was severely broken and needed surgery. But with no adequate care available, he returned home in excruciating pain.

Finding Healing and God’s Love at CURE 

At home, Lungisani dealt with his injuries the best he could but was unable to attend school and faced an uncertain future—in addition to the pain. Then, he found renewed hope during a follow-up visit at the local hospital, which referred him to CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe (CURE Zimbabwe) for limb reconstruction surgery.

At CURE, Lungisani endured four procedures. Doctors had to clean out an infection in his wound, set his broken leg bone, and insert and remove an external fixator to keep his leg straight while it healed, which he wore for six months.

He spent three months recovering in CURE Zimbabwe’s long-stay ward, where he received specialized care provided at no cost to his family. This was an immense relief, as they had already exhausted their resources seeking treatment at local hospitals.

While Lungisani recovered, he spent time making friends with other patients and doing arts and crafts projects in the hospital’s playroom. 

The spiritual ministry team also provided him and his dad, Nhlanhla, bedside counseling and shared the Bible with them as they processed the trauma of the crocodile incident.  

Through his conversations with the team, Lungisani came to a powerful realization: God had been watching over him. “I could have easily lost my leg during that crocodile attack,” Lungisani reflected. 

He felt like he was on the brink of death from the infection, but when he arrived at CURE Zimbabwe, he experienced the love of God in a whole new way. “Here at CURE Zimbabwe, I received a message of hope about being saved. I didn’t really understand it, but after talking to the pastor and learning about Jesus’s mercy, I now understand it was Him all along.”

The team’s concern and compassion deeply moved both Lungisani and his father, Nhlanhla, and they made the life-changing decision to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A few months later, Lungisani’s mom did the same.

Nhlanhla expressed his gratitude for the experience and the gift of God’s Word he received from the ministry staff. “I have never owned a Bible before,” he remarked. “The work the pastors are doing in this place is great. I have come to know Christ. Now I want to relate with him, and I want to go to church.”

Looking Forward to the Future 

With his newfound faith to buoy him, Lungisani finished his recovery at home. He diligently performed his assigned physical therapy exercises as he learned to walk on his newly straightened leg and returned to the hospital periodically for check-ups. 

A few months after Lungisani left the hospital, the spiritual ministry team visited him at home to see how he was doing. Thanks to surgery at CURE, he is back on both feet and helping with the family farm. 

“I’m no longer feeling any pain in my leg,” Lungisani shared. “I can herd cattle again without any stress, and my father can even send me to the shops.”

Lungisani also says he is ready to return to school and is determined to ace his exams so he can focus on his goal of becoming a farmer or a teacher—something that wouldn’t be possible without the support of CURE’s generous donors.