A 44-year-old man has survived a crocodile attack in northern Australia by prising the animal's jaws from his head, according to health officials. He was swimming in Lake Placid in Queensland when he was attacked by a saltwater crocodile he estimated to be between 1.5 and 2 metres long.
Critical care paramedic Paul Sweeney said the man was "remarkably calm" when emergency responders arrived. "What he said to us was that a crocodile had bitten his head and in his effort to remove the jaws of the crocodile, he put his hands in to try and prise the jaws apart," Mr Sweeney told reporters. "In the process of trying to remove his hands, the jaws snapped shut on his forefinger."
Following the attack, the man swam a considerable distance back to shore and pulled himself onto the bank. Mr Sweeney said it was clear from their assessment that there were puncture marks on the man's head. He was later taken to Cairns Hospital, where an official told the BBC he was in a stable condition.
The man, who has not been publicly named, had been swimming in the lake three times a week for about eight years. Mr Sweeney said he "would not be surprised if he ventured into those waters again for further exercise".
Queensland's Environment Department said it was sending wildlife officers to Lake Placid to obtain further information about the attack and any further management action required. The department reminded people that Lake Placid and the Cairns region are known "Croc Country" and urged people to always be "Crocwise", noting that crocodiles should be expected in all far northern Queensland waterways.
