Hendrik Coetzee acclaimed outdoors man presumed dead after a crocodile yanked him from his kayak

35-year-old South African Hendrik Coetzee acclaimed outdoors man who wrote  about testing himself against nature is presumed dead after a crocodile yanked him from his kayak while he headed an American  expedition from the mouth of the While Nile into the heart of the Congo.

Two Americans being guided by Coetzee on the demanding trip could only watch in terror. They paddled unharmed to safety after the Tuesday morning attack on the Lukuga River in Congo.The trip was sponsored by the Eddie Bauer clothing and outdoor equipment company.

Eddie Bauer said the trip was a first of its kind kayaking expedition from the White Nile and Congo rivers into Congo. The three men, all experienced kayakers, were documenting unexplored white water and development projects in the region.The two Americans ,Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic are currently in Congo but expect to return home to the U.S. soon. Korbulic is from Rogue River, Oregon  and Stookesberry is from Mount Shasta, California .

Coetzee had been living in Uganda at the time of the expedition.  Coetzee’s body has not been recovered,The stretch of river where the three was traveling is awfully dangerous because of its white water and the high population of hippos and crocodiles.”He was the bravest guy I’ve ever known,” Kruger said. “But he wasn’t crazy. He was very calculated and set the bar high for future exploration in Africa.”