Crocodile latches onto snorkeler’s head in Australia. Then he began his daring escape
A man quite literally snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when he managed to pull his head out from inside a crocodile’s toothy maw.
Marcus McGowan was attacked while snorkeling off the north coast of Australia on May 27, according to a statement he provided to the Queensland Government.
While swimming with his wife and friends, and taking in the underwater view of fish and coral, McGowan was ambushed from behind, he said.
A young saltwater crocodile bit down on his head, eliciting screams for help.
But it turned out McGowan, who described himself as an outdoorsman with an understanding of marine risks, did not need any assistance.
“I was able to lever its jaws open just far enough to get my head out,” McGowan said in the news release. “The crocodile then attempted to attack me a second time, but I managed to push it away with my right hand, which was then bitten by the croc.”
He then swam to the group’s boat, and his friend, a fireman, provided first aid while the crew took him to an island about 45 minutes away.
Once at the island, he was airlifted to a hospital for evaluation and treatment, he said. Wounds on his head and hands were treated at another hospital.
“I was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time,” McGowan said. “I’m just grateful it was me and not one of the kids or ladies in the group.”
Several thousand crocodile attacks have been recorded worldwide over the past decade, though attacks are difficult to quantify, and many, particularly those that occur in remote areas, are likely not reported, according to the Crocodile Specialist Group.
The group cautions against swimming in bodies of water where crocodiles are known to reside. Additionally, people should stay at least 16 feet from the water’s edge where the creatures are present since they can move quickly on land.
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