A man who was swimming at a popular tourist hotspot in in remote north-west Queensland is ‘lucky to be alive’ after he wrestled free from the jaws of a freshwater crocodile.
The man, in his 40s, was swimming at Lawn Hill – also known as Adels Grove – when the freshie latched onto his arm. The victim told emergency services that, after he wrestled with it, the croc released its grip and he escaped.
RACQ LifeFlight emergency personnel attended the scene yesterday afternoon and said that the man suffered injuries to his arm, as well as puncture wounds to both hands and his leg.
The ABC reports that the man was on a motor-biking tour group. After the attack, tour members called triple-zero, then drove the injured tourist to a nearby airstrip to meet the rescue chopper.
“He was in a lot of pain and the puncture wounds from the croc’s teeth were very deep,” RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Aircrew Officer Greig Allan said. “The patient told us the crocodile would have been between two and three metres long, so he’s lucky to have escaped with his life.”
The patient was flown to Mount Isa Hospital in a stable condition and is recovering.
“Luckily the tourists out there had GPS systems, so the helicopter could locate them exactly,” Brad Hardy, Superintendent for the Queensland Ambulance Service north-west district, told the ABC. “The other people that were there did a really good job, they had bandaged the wounds to stop the bleeding … it appears that they were swimming around a waterfall and he went behind the waterfall and there was a freshwater crocodile there,” he said.
The injured man was flown to Mount Isa Hospital. PIC: RACQ / ABC
As most grey nomads know, freshwater crocodiles are normally considered relatively peaceful … at least compared to their saltwater relatives.
However, the former owner of the Adels Grove tourist site, Michelle Lomo, told the ABC that, while freshwater crocodiles usually ‘keep to themselves’, they can lash out when they feel threatened.
“Often, during wet season, the crocs have the waterways to themselves and they go behind waterfalls to catch the fish,” she said. “What happens is, if people arrive at a certain location where the croc is behind the waterfall, they get stuck behind there because they don’t want to come out … and if you swim behind the waterfall where the croc is, well, it’s going to get a fright and lash out.”
She told the ABC the best thing that visitors can do is ‘make a lot of noise’ when they arrive at a water spot.
“That will scare them away,” she said.
Swimming in a billabong near the Nicholson River. Heaps of freshies. They weren’t interested in us… thankfully!
Lucky to be alive!!! LMHO, these things don’t want a fight with a human I have safely stepped on them swam with them and given them a wide berth when they’re going somewhere for years no issues – swam many times at both Adels Grove and nearby Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill NP) seen the crocs. I tell you what though I am expecting a salty to get someone at nearby Gregory River sometime as I have seen salties just downstream of the pub many times.
Lake Argyle in WA. The have over 30,000 freshies in there. They hold swimming races too. We were on a cruise and he stopped in the middle for us all to jump in.
Yes, many times in the Upper Mitchell and Walsh rivers in FNQ.
I’ve seen a backwater lagoon on the Walsh River just out of Chillagoe writhing with them, but I wouldn’t swim there as there were scores of them.
Our son was riding with the motor bike group as the man that was attacked by the crowd Ike, our son and a friend were standing nearby when the attack happen. Lucky man indeed.
Had to swim through water to get into Tunnel gorge as water was really high. When we swam back out, there was a large freshie on the bank. We gave it a wide berth and it didn’t seem bothered by us!
This was the second attack in 3 weeks at exactly the same place and probably the same croc.
Why was the first attack not reported or visitors to the gorge warned?
We checked in to Adels two days after the first attack and were not advised of the incident by reception and there were no warning signs at the location where the attack occurred.
This second attack was completely preventable had rangers done their job.