Spearfisher, mauled by a 15-foot-long crocodile, pushed his fingers into the animal’s eyes to break free — as he is airlifted to hospital with multiple bite wounds to his head and body
- Man bitten by a crocodile in far north Queensland
- Freed himself by poking the beast in the eye
- Injuries sustained but now ‘good mood’ in the hospital
A spearfisherman who was mauled by a four-and-a-half-metre-long crocodile in the far north of Queensland pushed his fingers into the animal’s eyes to break free of its grasp.
The 44-year-old was attacked by the crocodile at about 1.30pm on Saturday while he was swimming at Archer Point, about 12 miles south of Cooktown on Cape York Peninsula.
Incredibly, despite being bitten three times and dragged below the surface of the water, he managed to free himself by repeatedly gouging out the crocodile’s eyes.
He then swam to nearby rocks before rescue teams pulled him to safety and a helicopter flew him to Cairns hospital.
A 44-year-old has been airlifted to hospital after being mauled by a huge crocodile in far north Queensland on Saturday
Valerie Noble of the Queensland Ambulance Service said the man was swimming with a group of six mates who managed to administer first aid before emergency services arrived.
“(The crocodile) bit him three times and dragged him to the bottom,” Ms Noble told reporters.
“He managed – according to him – to stick his fingers in the crocodile’s eyes several times and escape before swimming to shore.”
The spearfisherman suffered multiple fractures, as well as serious injuries to his head, abdomen and leg.
“He’s an extremely lucky man, not many people could tell a story like that,” Ms Noble added.
Despite his ordeal, the man is said to be in good spirits and in a stable condition.
The Queensland Department of Environment and Science will now investigate the attack and confirm whether the crocodile is still in the area.
Incredibly, despite being bitten three times and dragged into the water, the man managed to free himself by repeatedly poking the crocodile’s eyes (stock image)
The incident comes just days after a 65-year-old man was bitten on April 4 while sleeping on Newell Beach near Port Douglas.
He was treated for a minor injury to his legs and was discharged the following day.
Following the incident, Queensland governments said it was a ‘timely reminder’ for people to be ‘crocwise’.
Data from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, which records and investigates all crocodile reports, shows eight attacks were reported between 2020 and March 2023.