A 24-year old British Financial Times (FT) journalist died following a crocodile attack on Thursday afternoon in Sri Lanka, according to local authorities. Paul McClean had been vacationing with a group of friends when the incident occurred. He had only been with the Financial Times for two years.
Rescue worker searching for the body of Paul McClean, a Financial Times reporter attacked and killed on Thursday afternoon when washing his hands in a lagoon after relieving himself from the nearby forest in Panama, Sri Lanka. Credit: AFP/Getty Images
According to Fawas Lafeer, the owner of a Safa Surf School, McClean had been learning how to surf at Elephant Rock beach, a popular tourist resort located in Panama, south-eastern Sri Lanka when left the group to relieve himself in bush. Afterwards, McClean ventured into a nearby muddy lagoon where he dipped his hands to wash them when he was attacked.
Local witnesses said they had a scream coming from a local fisherman who said he saw a crocodile drag a tourist underwater. His friends said they saw McClean wave his hand into the are shortly before disappearing into the water.
A Sri Lankan crocodile, similar to one that may have attacked and killed Paul McClean, a Financial Times reporter holidaying with friends when he was washing his hands after relieving himself from the first.
After the fisherman and Lafeer failed to rescue McClean, they called local authorities. The local Arugam Bay Police then requested the help of The Sri Lankan Navy which immediately rushed to the scene but by the time they reached the lagoon, it was too dark to search the waters, said a spokesman for the Navy.
On Friday morning, the Navy found a body in the lagoon about 50 feet from the shore and identified it as McClean’s. The body was intact with wounds on his right leg below and above the knee.
McClean’s body was identified by his friends with whom he had travelled to Sri Lanka with. The body has since been taken for autopsy, according to a spokesperson for Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Paul McClean doing a report in a Facebook photo on September 2015. Credit: Facebook
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed on Friday morning that it was “assisting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Sri Lanka” but provided no further details.
A letter from Paul McClean’s family sent to the Financial Times said, “It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that Paul McClean has gone missing while on holiday in Sri Lanka.”
“Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones,” said James Lamont, the Managing Editor for FT. “We are in touch with them, doing all we can to help during this difficult time.”
McClean, who was born in 1992 died just a month shy of his 25th birthday. He was described as “a talented, energetic and dedicated young journalist” who had a “great career ahead of him at the FT” by Lamont.
His boss on the fastFT desk, Katie Martin said McClean was a “warm, funny person and a talented young journalist with a curious mind…a joy to be around…with an impish sense of humour.”
Paul McClean seen in a Facebook photo. Credit: Facebook
“Paul was a natural. He had charm, curiosity and an attention to detail – the essential ingredients for a top reporter,” said Lionel Barber, FT Editor. “He was family. Will miss him sorely.”
Paul McClean wo grew up just outside of London in Thames Ditton, Surrey graduated from Oxford university with a first-class Honours Degree in French. He joined the Financial Times 2 years ago as a trainee and was most recently working for the fastFT news service.
A crocodile is believed to have dragged McClean under water on Thursday afternoon and a postmortem examination is expected to establish the cause of death.
A minute of silence for Paul McClean was held at the FT on Friday morning.
A BBC original report. Further editing by Manyika Review.
