fisherman recounts croc attack: “I’m very lucky”

Angler Fights Off Crocodile in Australian Waters

Arnhem Land, Australian Northern Territory – Yoann Galeran of France decided to cool off in what he thought were calm waters in this remote part of Australia. He was working as a deckhand on a fishing vessel. What he ended up getting into was the fight of his life with a six foot crocodile.

Galeran was approximately fifty feet from shore on this fateful evening when the stealthy predator pounced on him by locking his head in its jaw and launching into the death roll.

Galeran recounted for ABC News at first it felt like “rocks hitting” his head and in a moment he realized he was the prey of a young crocodile. His instincts were to fight for his life. He struck the animal anywhere he could and kept moving his body even as the crocodile tried to pull him underwater.

“It went straight away to the top of my head and diving under the water he tried to do that spinning thing,” Galeran said, referring to the drowning manoeuvre.

“It was going so fast — everything happened in less than five seconds and then I fell free,” he added. “I’m very lucky.”

“If it was a bit bigger crocodile, I wouldn’t be talking to you now,” he said.

The fight didn’t last long at all. Galeran says his head was in the crocodiles’ jaws for one second, and within five seconds he was free.

He swam to a nearby dinghy for safety. He was later received only a few stitches. Galeran attributes his survival to luck because had the crocodile been full grown it would possibly have removed his head in an instant.

Zoologist Charlie Manolis Tells the Mirror, the crocodile probably weighed less than 40 kilograms (88 pounds) and was too small to be a serious threat to an adult. It had probably misjudged Galeran’s size in the moonless night.

“Had it been a four meter (13 foot) or bigger crocodile, there would have been a 100 percent chance that he’d be dead now,” said Manolis, chief scientist at Darwin’s Crocodylus Park crocodile farm.

“That size animal in daylight would probably not have gone near him. It can cause you significant damage if the animal really bites you a fair bit, but really they’re not strong enough to overpower a full grown human,” he added.

On The Web:

French fisherman fights off crocodile ‘latched onto his head’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10009358/French-fisherman-fights-off-crocodile-latched-onto-his-head.html

Crocodile attack: Fisherman’s lucky escape after beast clamps jaws around his head
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/crocodile-attack-fishermans-lucky-escape-1846798#ixzz2RHny4AnJ