The 14-year-old was fishing with his friends in waist-deep water when the crocodile attacked and performed a horror death roll, before the boy was rushed off to hospital
A teenage boy was attacked by a crocodile while he was fishing with his friends.
The 14-year-old was in a group of three, who were not locals to the area, and were fishing in waist-deep water, according to reports.
Incredibly, he managed to survive a ‘death roll’ – a manoeuver which sees the crocodile grip the prey in its powerful jaws, then rotate, using its body weight to turn over and over as it tries to drown its prey.
The boy was quickly taken to a nearby hotel where people tried to treat his leg and abdomen wounds. He was then flown to Cairns Hospital and was reported to be in a stable condition on Sunday night.
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The attack took place 100km north of Cairns in Far North Queensland, Australia on Saturday afternoon.
“A male teenager with leg and abdominal wounds was airlifted to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition following a reported crocodile attack on a public beach,” a Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson said.
It comes after a tourist was dragged to his death in a horrifying crocodile attack after ignoring clear warning signs at a game reserve that hosts live “feeding experiences”.
The 56-year-old father, visiting Bonamanzi Game Reserve in South Africa with his wife and children , walked past multiple large signs warning guests to stay clear of the water – and cast his fishing rod into the Hluhluwe River anyway.
Moments later, the surface erupted. A 12-foot crocodile launched from the shallows, clamping its jaws around his torso and dragging him into the river. The terrifying attack unfolded at the 4,000-hectare reserve, around 150 miles north of Durban.
An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said: “It was absolutely horrific. One moment it was all peaceful and calm and the next moment there was just screaming and chaos. This 12-foot crocodile pulled the man in who was desperately trying to fight it off and it was slamming him down again and again on the water as it reversed back with him in its jaws.
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“Other guests ran to help as the man desperately tried to fight off the crocodile but it was too big and too strong and had a firm grip and lifelines were thrown out for him to grab onto. This man was strong and was fighting for his life and screaming and thrashing about but it would have been absolute madness for anyone to go in the water to try and get to him.
“Nothing could be done and he just disappeared under the water and was gone. The rescue services all turned up and were preparing to go and search the river for the missing man. But two hours later his body, which was not in a good way, just popped up off the bank.
“The area was clearly marked with regard to the danger of crocodiles in the river but the man walked past them to fish in the river which was madness and it cost him his life. I am told the wife and children were nearby and may have witnessed it all,” he said.
The victim, a 56-year-old South African man from Richards Bay, is believed to have booked in for a long weekend stay with his family. According to the reserve website, guests can either watch or join in the live feeding of raw meat to the crocs every other Saturday. It is not known if the activity was available on the day the victim was attacked.