By BEN TALINTYRE and DANYAL HUSSAIN FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
A man attacked by a crocodile and dragged into the water by his paw before running over his dog says he learned his lesson about messing around in crocodile-infested waters.
Alister MacPhee, 37, was bitten on the leg by the crocodile, which suddenly emerged from the water to attack him at a remote boat ramp in Cooktown, northern Queensland, on Wednesday.
Mr MacPhee is now recovering from his injuries at Cairns Hospital and says he learned his lesson the hard way by losing his dog in the crocodile attack.
“I want to thank the emergency services and staff at Cairns Hospital for looking after me,” he said in a statement shared by 7News.
“Especially Magic Molly (my dog) who was always by my side.
Clearly Mr MacPhee was traveling through Queensland and brought his dog to the boat ramp for a drink of water
“Unfortunately, I learned the hard way… Everyone has to be crocodile wise in crocodile country.”
Footage from the incident shows MacPhee entering the knee-deep water with his dog nearby when he was attacked by the crocodile without warning.
Mr. MacPhee’s dog appeared to make a valiant effort to save him, only for the crocodile to turn his attention to the dog and grab it in its jaws.
Incredibly, Mr. MacPhee then tried to save his dog, with footage showing him knocking down the massive reptile.
However, the crocodile won the fight and went back underwater with the dog, causing Mr. MacPhee to run up the boat ramp, clutching his leg in shock after several bites.
A nearby ranger rushed to Mr MacPhee’s aid and he was treated at Wujal Wujal Clinic before a rescue helicopter took him to Cairns Hospital in stable condition.
He probably underwent surgery.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife has been notified of the incident and has sent a local team to the scene to investigate.
It is understood that the man was traveling around Queensland and had taken his dog to the boat ramp for a drink of water.
Mr MacPhee and his dog ‘Magic Molly’ were attacked at a boat ramp on Bloomfield River in the far north of Queensland
Mr MacPhee is now recovering from his leg injuries at Cairns Hospital and says he learned his lesson the hard way by losing his dog in the crocodile attack
The ranger who rushed to the man’s aid and helped save his life is shocked by the harrowing scenes.
She was reportedly named forest ranger of the month in January and is likely to hold that title for the second consecutive month.
“She saw someone in distress down by the river and that was really lucky because we had just completed our first aid training,” said Mr. Paterson.
“She’s obviously pretty upset about the whole thing.
“I hear the man was devastated by the loss of his dog and it is believed the dog came to his aid.”
The terrifying incident happened just weeks after a local resident issued a warning by sharing footage of a large crocodile lurking in the water near the boat ramp.
“Look at that crocodile everyone,” says the man who filmed the video.
“Watch out for your kids…because he hangs out here.”
The footage prompted authorities to issue a similar warning.
“Be careful around the boat ramp and surrounding area. There’s a crocodile!’ the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council posted at the time.
Mr Paterson is unsure if the crocodile in the footage is the same one that attacked the man on Wednesday.
Local man Billy Dunn said the crocodile responsible for the attack was a newcomer to the area.
“There’s a big new crocodile in the river and he’s a big dirty bastard,” he said.
Mr. MacPhee was suddenly attacked by the crocodile, before his dog Molly tried to save him
“He kept an eye on everyone and there have been a lot of road works, so there were a lot of people around. I see him all the time because I’m on the river a lot.’
‘Once you get to Far North Queensland you’re in a lot of natural environments… there’s a lot of natural game around and you should be aware that there are crocodiles in the Bloomfield area if you come here.’
The Ministry of Environment and Science said conservationists will try to locate and remove the crocodile from the river.
“This incident is a timely reminder for people to be Crocwise in crocodile country and not to be complacent with their own safety or the safety of their family or pets when they are in or near the water,” a DES spokeswoman said.