A man was mauled by a crocodile on a beach in the far north of Queensland, Australia. While spearfishing near Cooktown, the 44-year-old man was attacked by a 15-foot-long reptile that tried to drown him. He was able to defend himself by sticking his fingers in his eyes, according to a report in News.com.au
The attack occurred just before 1 p.m. on Saturday at Archer Point in Cooktown. Valerie Noble, a paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service, spoke to Seven News and said: “He was in the water when he saw a crocodile about four and a half meters swimming towards him which he has been trying to fend off. his harpoon gun, in vain.
He added: “It bit him three times and dragged him to the bottom.”
The man apparently managed to free himself by sticking his fingers in the crocodile’s eyes, allowing it to swim to shore. The man suffered head, leg and shoulder injuries. He was flown to Cairns Base Hospital where he is now in a critical but stable condition.
Conservationists will investigate the occurrence, according to a representative from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, as reported by News.com.au. They added that the employees will also check if the crocodile is still around.
“The information provided to DES suggests that the man is believed to have suffered serious injuries. Archer Point is known as crocodile country. Please remember that you are responsible for your own safety in crocodile country,” the spokesperson added.
The incident occurred just days after a 65-year-old man was bitten while napping on April 4 at Newell Beach near Port Douglas. He suffered a minor leg injury.
The Queensland Government stated it was a “timely reminder” for people to be “crocwise” after the event.
The outlet noted that eight crocodile attacks had been reported between 2020 and March 2023, citing Queensland Department of Environment and Science data, seven of which were non-fatal.