Three-year-old thrown into crocodile pit survives after seven surgeries

The family of a three-year-old boy who was seriously injured after being thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo has provided a positive update.

The child has now been discharged from the hospital and is settling back in at home after a lengthy stay and more than seven operations, according to his family.

He reportedly returned home a few weeks ago and is happy to be back, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed, and enjoying his role as a big brother, as mentioned in an update posted online by his parents.

Johnsons of Old Hurst, a zoo near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, previously reported being alerted to the incident on June 18, when a child was allegedly thrown into one of the crocodile enclosures.

A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident but was later released on bail after being assessed as not fit for interview by police.

The suspect reportedly has learning difficulties and was on a trip with caregivers at the time. An investigation into his care has been launched.

The boy’s family initiated a crowdfunding campaign to provide financial support for the family and assist with the boy’s recovery and rehabilitation, which has raised more than £113,000.

In an update shared on their GoFundMe page on Monday, August 24, the family announced that the little boy is back home.

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‘Now that we are home, our son’s rehabilitation journey continues, and we can focus on ensuring our son has the best possible chance at recovery,’ his parents said.

‘Both of us will continue to stay by our son’s side as we support him on his rehabilitation journey. We attend the hospital frequently to find out the next steps, and we work on them together as a family.

‘All of his immediate surgeries are over for now, which means we can now focus on rehabilitation at home.’

They said that the money donated so far ‘has supported us financially to cover immediate costs such as our bills and mortgage’, and ‘also allowed us to cover our loss of wages during this time’.

They said they have bought and donated new toys to the paediatric intensive care unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and to the children’s play team on the ward, who the boy was very fond of while receiving treatment.

They said they had also donated to the Sick Children’s Trust charity, which helps support families whose children are long-term patients or in the paediatric intensive care unit.

His parents added that they also want to donate to the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) to thank staff who were involved in their son’s care.

In a previous update, the family said the boy had undergone seven operations.