Imagine someone’s head inside a crocodile’s mouth. Imagine that person still surviving.
A snorkeler in Australia lived through a nightmare when he was bitten by a saltwater crocodile. It wasn’t a bite on the arm or foot, but his whole head and neck. The incident happened near a remote island off the coast of Northern Queensland. He was rescued and taken to a hospital in time.
The identity of the man has not been disclosed but he is said to be 33 years old. He was attacked on Wednesday as he took a deep dive around 50 metres away of Lizard Island. It is believed that the attack happened in Anchor bay. The primary first-aid care was provided near the scene of the accident. He was later flown to Cairns Hospital and treated for his non-life-threatening injuries. As of now, the man is stable.
A member of the Royal Flying Doctor Service was reported as saying that the man was lucky to be alive. The extent of his injuries is not yet clear, but judging by the various media reports, it must be severe. After all, the man’s whole head is presumed to be bitten.
As reported in The Independent, said crocodile attacks in north Queensland were rare. However, an animal of that nature and size can be devastating and deaths have happened in the past.
The island is no strangers to crocodiles as they are found in abundance there. Since 1985, there have been approximately 37 recorded attacks, 11 of those attacks resulted in a fatality.
According to The Conversation, crocodiles have a tendency to bite. The saltwater crocodiles can be anywhere between 1,000 to 2,000 kilos. They are said to have a strong bite. The highest bite-force ever recorded for any animal belongs to a 4.59 m long saltwater crocodile from Australia. Based on body mass, a crocodile can cause anywhere between 1,000 and 3,000 pounds force on its prey. It’s a wonder that the victim survived the attack.