A FISHERMAN who was brutally attacked and pulled into a river by a deadly crocodile has been discovered deceased.

Jacob Tuan, 32, was seized from a riverbank in Malaysia while fishing for catfish with his family late at night.

Authorities recovered his body just hours after his shocked family reported the harrowing incident.

The victim’s family said the crocodile leapt out of the water after catching Tuan’s fishing wire before dragging him under the river by his waist.

Father-in-law Idi Rengkang, 50, said it all happened so quickly that they had no time to react and save Tuan.

Rengkang recalled: “Jacob was pulling in the line when it suddenly snapped.

“Then a crocodile struck and grabbed him at the waist. He shouted, ‘Abak! (Dad)’ and then there was silence.”

The heartbroken parent said he was also struck by the reptile’s dangerous tail.

Tuan’s body was found on Friday afternoon covered in serious bite wounds after a search-and-rescue (SAR) operation was launched.

Police said he was pulled from the riverbank less than 1,000ft away from where he was taken by the beast.

Padawan District Police Chief, Superintendent Irwan Hafiz Mohd Radzi, paid his respects to the fisherman.

He added: “The body has been sent to the Sarawak General Hospital (HUS) for a post-mortem and the case is currently classified as sudden death.”

The killer was most likely a saltwater crocodile which are common along mangroves and rivers in Malaysia.

It follows a spate of horror crocodile attacks in recent months.

An idiotic tourist was savaged by a 15ft croc after climbing into the reptile’s cage to get a picture with the beast.

The 29-year-old man attempted the stunt in front of horrified onlookers in the Philippines after mistaking the cold-blooded beast for a statue.

Gruesome footage showed the tourist wailing in agony as the predator locks her jaws around his limb and refuses to let go.

The tourist miraculously survived the attack but did require over 50 stitches.

Another tragic mauling left a seven-year-old boy fighting for his life after his arm was ripped off in a horrific crocodile encounter.

Johandre Blom was attacked while playing in the water just a few feet away from his parents, at the Roodekoppies Dam in Brits, South Africa.

Johandre was thrown around by the crocodile in its powerful jaws before his father rushed into the water.

He managed to pull the boy free while the brutal predator was still circling them in the water.

Johandre survived but lost his left arm in the bloody attack.