Full story
Boy returns home
A three-year-old boy seriously injured after being thrown into a zoo crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire was discharged from hospital and returned home a few weeks ago, his family said in an update posted online.
“returned home a few weeks ago”
The incident occurred on June 18, when the zoo said it was “alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into one of our crocodile enclosures” on that date.
The family said the child is “happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother,” and they said he had undergone seven operations in a previous update.
In the same update, the family said the fundraising page has raised more than £113,000 to date, and they said the money “has supported us financially to cover immediate costs such as our bills and mortgage.”
Arrest and bail
Cambridgeshire Police arrested and bailed a 30-year-old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder after the June 18 incident, and police said he was “assessed as not being fit for interview”.
The BBC said the arrested man did not know the child and “has learning disabilities and was on a trip with carers,” while an investigation into his care has been launched.
The Telegraph said the boy’s parents described his return as “happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother,” and it said the child returned home after two months in hospital.
The family update posted on GoFundMe said it was “nice to have us all back together in the comfort of our own home,” and the parents said they would continue to attend the hospital frequently to find out the next steps.
Recovery and donations
After the boy returned home, his parents said “Now that we are home, our son’s rehabilitation journey continues and we can focus on ensuring our son has the best possible chance at recovery,” and they said “All of his immediate surgeries are over with for now.”
““Now that we are home, our son’s rehabilitation journey continues”
They said the funds raised so far “has supported them financially to cover immediate costs such as bills and mortgage” and also allowed them to cover their loss of wages during the time the child was in hospital.
The family said they bought and donated new toys to the paediatric intensive care unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and to the children’s play team on the ward, and they said the boy was “very fond of the play team”.
They also said they donated to the Sick Children’s Trust charity and want to donate to the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), including “the supply of superhero costumes to brighten up his day,” as they thanked everyone who had shown “such kindness and generosity during what has been a considerable ordeal for us all.”