Boy, 3, thrown into crocodile pit saved by heroic zookeeper and family

Boy, 3, thrown into crocodile pit saved by heroic zookeeper and family Zookeeper Tracey Johnson, her husband Andrew and their son Edward jumped into the crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, to save a three-year-old boy A heroic zookeeper and her family leapt into a crocodile enclosure to save a three-year-old boy's life after he was allegedly thrown in there by a man earlier this week. The child suffered serious injuries during the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo, near Huntingdon, on Thursday afternoon. A 30-year-old man with learning difficulties is believed to have hurled the young boy into a crocodile pit while the child's family watched on in horror. Tracey Johnson, 55, who owns and runs the zoo with her husband, Andrew, 56, was the first to jump into the enclosure to save the child, The Sunday Times reported. Soon afterwards, Mr Johnson and one of the couple's sons, Edward, 29, reportedly leapt into the pit, which is believed to house around 50 reptiles. The three are understood to have freed the boy from the crocodile's grip before pulling him out of the enclosure. Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, said he spoke to the Johnson family on Friday evening. "We mustn't underestimate how much of a difference Tracey made," he told The Sunday Times. "She was first in there. She jumped in and dealt with an awful situation. She was then joined by her husband and son. It was a team effort." Newman added: "They are a resilient family but they are distraught. Their thoughts and concerns are for the child." Cambridgeshire Police said on Friday that the suspect, from Norfolk, had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, but had been "assessed as not being fit for interview". He has been released on bail until September 18. The boy, who was not known to the man, remained in a critical but stable condition at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge on Saturday. It is understood that he was bitten by at least one of the reptiles, either a saltwater or Nile crocodile, and suffered a broken arm and pelvis. The zoo is set off a rural lane in the village of Old Hurst and is home to more than 100 animals, including lions, tigers, sloth bears, capybaras and meerkats. Although the crocodiles were raised in captivity, Newman told the Times it was still in their nature to respond to a potential threat. "If something fell on one of the crocodiles, or if something fell close to it, it would bite," he said. In this instance, the boy may have been spared because the reptiles are fed a diet of offal and offcuts from livestock, which means the creature may not have immediately registered the child as food. Newman, a friend of the Johnson's, previously told BBC Radio 4: “Oh I know Tracey very well, she is absolutely a lovely lady and I think we should recognise her actions as being incredibly heroic. But frankly it’s nothing short of what I would expect of her, that’s exactly what she would do, she is a very brave, very strong lady.” He added: “That’s what I’d expect from Tracey, that’s what she is like as a person. I know it would be incredibly difficult. At the moment I don’t know, I haven’t spoken to the family directly. I messaged them yesterday to offer my best wishes. I don’t know which enclosure it was but it’s about a 15ft drop so for her to get into there that quickly and save the child really is just a remarkable act of bravery.” Mike Annicelli, 52, who lives close to the zoo and has previously visited the crocodile enclosure, told The Press Association: "Everything is elevated, you’re far away from the animals." He said there was a "raised platform" and estimated the crocodiles were about 15ft below, adding that fencing along the walkways was around 4ft high.