Man pries open crocodile's jaws as it bites his head

The South China Morning Post describes the "crocodile head-biting" incident that occurred last weekend off Haggerstone Island near Cape York. The victim, Marcus McGowan, 51, narrowly escaped death after being attacked by a saltwater crocodile while diving with his wife and a group of friends in Queensland, Australia.

Recounting the incident, Mr McGowan said he initially thought he was being attacked by a shark. "But when I reached out, I discovered it was a crocodile," he said.

The victim said the crocodile that attacked him was young and could be between 1.8 and 3 meters long. Meanwhile, adult crocodiles can be more than 6 meters long.

"At that time, the crocodile bit my head. I saved myself by pushing the crocodile's jaws open wide and luckily pulled my head out" - Mr. McGowan said, still in shock - "The crocodile continued to attack me again but I fought back fiercely".

At this time, the victim was bitten by a crocodile, tearing his right hand. Immediately after that, he tried to swim to a rescue boat after hearing the group's cries for help.

Mr McGowan was then given first aid, his wound was bandaged and he was given antibiotics.

Once the boat docked, Mr McGowan was airlifted to a nearby hospital, before being taken to Cairns Hospital for further treatment.

Having escaped death, Mr McGowan said he was fully aware of the risks of swimming in the sea.

"When you're in the ocean, you're entering the territory of potentially dangerous species like sharks and crocodiles. It was simply a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mr McGowan added.

Người đàn ông cạy hàm cá sấu đang ngoạm đầu mình - Ảnh 2.

The number of crocodile attacks on people has been increasing in Australia recently. Illustration photo: Reuters

Mr McGowan's story is causing a stir online, and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science has launched an investigation into the incident.

The number of crocodiles in Queensland has been increasing in recent years, leading to an increase in attacks - but thankfully they are not fatal.

Fatal crocodile attacks are relatively rare in Queensland, but in early May, authorities found the body of a 65-year-old fisherman inside the stomachs of two crocodiles.

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