A 60-year-old Australian man escaped the jaws of a marine crocodile by repeatedly stabbing him in the head with his pocket knife as he dragged him into a river, local authorities said on Wednesday (November 10th).
After surviving this terrifying attack on the bank of a remote river in the Cape York Peninsula in the far north of Australia, the injured man went to hospital on his own, a said the Queensland State Department of the Environment.
Read also An Australian survived the attack of a crocodile by loosening its jaw
The man had gone fishing last week on his property near Hope Vale, about a five-hour drive from Cairns, and chased a bull from the shore so he could settle there.
It was then that the crocodile attacked.
"He described seeing the crocodile seconds before he pounced on him, knocking him over as he was about to throw his fishing rod
,
"
the ministry said in a statement.
He gripped the branch of a mangrove tree in a desperate attempt to stay out of the river as the crocodile's jaws wrapped around his boots.
But he quickly lost the fight and was dragged into the river.
"The man said that upon entering the water he managed to retrieve his knife from his belt and stabbed the crocodile in the head until he let go."
The man then ascended the shore and went to Cooktown Hospital for treatment.
He was then airlifted to Cairns hospital, where he is still recovering a week later.
Read alsoAustralia: a fugitive found naked in an area infested with crocodiles
Marine crocodiles or "salties", which can reach seven meters in length and weigh over a ton, are characteristic of the tropical north of the vast country.
Their numbers have exploded since they were declared a protected species in 1971, and recent attacks have reignited the debate over their control.
Wildlife officers who interviewed him on Tuesday confirmed his injuries were consistent with a crocodile attack.
They did not attempt to capture the reptile - which was reportedly drawn into the area by the presence of the bull - as it is too far away.
Known as the "land of the crocodiles", this region is the scene of relatively frequent, but rarely fatal, attacks.
