He was snorkeling off Haggerstone Island in Australia when a saltwater crocodile attacked him from behind and bit his head. However, the man managed to defend himself by opening the animal’s jaws with his hands and repelling the second attack of the reptile, which had meanwhile returned to charge. After the attack, 51-year-old Marcus McGowan was hospitalized: he suffered several head and body injuries, but managed to free himself. The incident took place on 27 May in the state of Queensland in the northwest of the country, about 28 km from the mainland.
"I was looking at shoals of fish and coral with someone else when I was attacked from behind," said the 51-year-old. "I thought it was a shark, but when I held out my hand I realized it was a crocodile. I could only open its jaw just enough to stick its head out." The man then repels the reptile's second attack, injuring his hand. He was then able to return to the boat and was taken to Haggerstone Island to be treated. Shortly after, he was taken to the more equipped hospital in Cairns, on the coast.
McGowan would be attacked by a young species two or three feet tall. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said the man, who was a guest at a luxury resort, according to local media. . The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile and has a devastating bite. Queensland officials have announced an investigation into the incident, but said in a statement that "crocodiles can be difficult to detect in the open sea as they often travel tens of kilometers a day."
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
