A pastor in Zimbabwe has been eaten alive by crocodiles after he attempted to show his congregation he could walk on water.
Jonathan Mthethwa of the Saint of the Last Days church, in White River Mpumalanga, died after walking 30 metres into a crocodile infested river, the Daily Post reports.
The pastor walked into the river, known locally as Crocodile River, and attempted to ascend above the water before walking across it, according to Zimbabwe Today.
He was attacked by three crocodiles and drowned, in front of his congregation.
“They finished him in a couple of minutes,” Deacon Nkosi told the newspaper. “All that was left of him when the finished eating him was a pair of sandals and his underwear floating above the water.”
He later told the Herald Zimbabwe the pastor had intended to “demonstrate his faith” on the day he died. “We still don’t understand how this happened because he fasted and prayed the whole week,” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Post.
Emergency services arrived at the scene 30 minutes after the incident but Mr Mthethwa had already been declared dead by locals.
