He should have had one chambered.
He should have had one chambered.
A weird, but common practice of Professional Hunters in Africa is to not chamber a round until just before shooting.
Crocodile attacks are very fast, and big crocks can be up over 15 ft high banks and back in the water in a second or two, before the prey understands what is happening.
Peter Hathaway Capstick wrote that he witnessed a successful predation on an man sized antelope that was 15 yards from the water’s edge, if I recall properly.
Once in the water, it is almost impossible to escape.
Big African crocks are over 12 feet long, and weigh several hundred pounds.
Never hunt anything that can hunt you.
The good news is that a round was in the chamber. The bad news is he left his rifle in the truck.
"Later that day his dogs returned to the camp without Mr Van Zyl. His rifle and belongings were found inside the truck."