‘We urge the public to be careful’: 23-foot python kills and swallows man walking home from party

A night of celebrations ended in a horrifying tragedy after a man disappeared while walking home through a forest in Indonesia. What began as a routine trip back from a party soon turned into a deadly encounter with one of the world’s largest snakes.

Hasim Lumbessy, 35, had been drinking at a bar in North Maluku before heading home alone to the village of Waksakai. He entered the forest during the early hours of July 27. Sadly, he never made it out.

The shocking discovery that followed left locals stunned. Searchers eventually found a massive 23-foot python with an unusually swollen belly. The grim truth became clear only after villagers cut the snake open, LADbible reported.

The attack happened just steps from home

Hasim was walking through the forest at about 3 a.m. local time, Sula Islands Police Chief Handres said. He was reportedly intoxicated when the python attacked from nearby undergrowth. The snake bit his leg before wrapping itself around him. It then crushed him to death and swallowed his body whole.

When Hasim failed to return home, his relatives searched along his usual route. They first found blood on the ground along with his backpack, sling bag, and sandals, the police chief said.

The police chief said, “They saw blood on the ground.” He explained that the witnesses photographed the belongings before returning to the village. They informed other residents and organized a wider search.

While fatal attacks like this are rare, encounters with snakes continue to be reported in different settings. In a separate incident, a college student returned home to find a snake had slithered underneath the apartment door and into her residence. 

That search led villagers to the enormous python. Its swollen belly suggested it had swallowed something unusually large. They killed the snake and cut it open. Hasim’s body was found inside. His remains were taken home so his family could prepare for his funeral.

After the incident, Sula Islands Police Chief Handres urged residents to stay alert. He warned that the area remains an active wildlife habitat. He added, “We urge the public to be careful.” He also advised people to avoid entering the forest alone and travel in pairs whenever possible.

Not every snake encounter ends in tragedy, but they can still result in serious injuries. In another recent case, a California girl was hospitalized after she was bitten by a rattlesnake while rushing outside to retrieve an Amazon package.

Reticulated pythons are the world’s longest snakes. They are non-venomous but kill by constriction. They wrap around their prey and squeeze until it dies. They are also the third-heaviest snake species. Several documented cases show these snakes swallowing humans whole after killing them.