The wife of a Cambridgeshire zoo owner jumped into a crocodile enclosure to rescue a critically injured three-year-old boy who was allegedly thrown in by a stranger, locals have said.
Tracey Johnson, who runs Johnson’s of Old Hurst with her husband Andy, is reported to have leapt into the pit at about 1.24pm on Thursday after the toddler ended up among the reptiles. The boy, who suffered a broken arm and pelvis, was airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridgeshire, where he remains in a critical but stable condition.
“Zoo owner's wife jumped into crocodile enclosure to rescue toddler allegedly thrown in by stranger; man arrested.”
Cambridgeshire Police said a 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Detectives from the major crime unit are investigating and say they do not believe the man and child knew each other.
One villager, who did not want to be named, told the PA news agency that Mrs Johnson had jumped in to try to save the child. Specially trained officers are at the hospital supporting the boy’s family.
The zoo, which has more than 100 animals and offers a 30-minute “crocodile-feeding experience” for £80, described its reptile house as a place where visitors can “look down on the animals with no barriers”. Andy Johnson told Cambridgeshire Live in 2019: “It’s just amazing for people to be able to look down on the animals with no barriers. It inspires you because they are there in real life, not like something you just saw on the TV.”
Local councillor Charlotte Lowe said she “can’t fathom” how the boy ended up in the enclosure. “They’ve got all the right protection and safety equipment, for want of a better word, in there,” she said. “This incident – I think it’s shocked an awful lot of people, especially the locals.”
Mike Annicelli, 52, who lives nearby, said he had felt safe visiting the zoo. He estimated the crocodiles were about 15ft long.
Johnson’s said that “out of respect to the family”, the Tropical House would remain closed until further notice. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family,” the zoo added in a statement.
A uniformed police officer was at an entrance to the site on Thursday evening, with a marked police car parked in the car park. An ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle and an air ambulance were sent to the scene.