Friday 26 September 2003

How Embarressing

From the ABC :
Northern Territory police say a tour guide has been attacked by a small freshwater crocodile in the Kakadu National Park.

The guide was swimming in Barramundi Gorge with a group of 16 tourists when the attack took place about 10am ACST.

Sargeant Sean Gill from Jabiru police says the guide tried to fend off the 1.5 metre crocodile but it attacked, leaving him with a puncture mark to his chest and a large cut to his hand.

"He's a bit embarrassed about the whole situation," he said."His injuries are non-life threatening, he's a bit sore and suffering as a result of the attack at the moment."
Being attacked by a 6-metre Saltie is one thing – but a piddling little 1.5m Freshwater Croc? He'll never live it down.

More from The Australian :
Unlike saltwater crocodiles, freshwater crocodiles generally do not pose a hreat to humans, Kakadu National Park projects manager Georgianna Fien.

"This is a very unusual incident," Ms Fien said.

"It's very unusual for a freshwater crocodile to behave in this way."

Authorities said the man was swimming with a group of 16 tourists at the Maguk plunge pool, at Barramundi Gorge, about 100km south of Jabiru, when he was attacked.

A person standing near the water hole saw the crocodile and yelled out to warn swimmers it was on one side of the pool.

"The crocodile has then submerged and attacked the man," Jabiru police officer in charge Sergeant Shawn Gill said.

"The man fended away the crocodile with his left hand, then warned others in the water to get out before doing so himself."

The man managed to walk back to the carpark with his group and drove to Cooinda, where he was taken by ambulance to Jabiru Health Clinic.

Sergeant Gill said the man was released from the clinic this afternoon. The tour group is continuing its tour of Kakadu with another tour guide, he said.

[...]

Earlier this month a 10-year-old girl was seriously injured when a 2.13m saltwater croc chomped on her leg as she swam unsupervised with several other children at a billabong at the Patonga Aboriginal community outstation.

And in April, former Kakadu tour guide Glenn Robless received a three-year suspended jail sentence in the NT Supreme Court for making a dangerous omission that caused the death of 23-year-old Isabel von Jordan.

Ms von Jordan was taken by the 4.6metre, 500kg croc during a late night dip in a billabong in Kakadu National Park with a tour group last year.

Kakadu National Park warns tourists against swimming at any of the water holes in the park, which is inhabited by up to 10,000 crocodiles.
Crocs have right of way. Even miniscule Freshwater ones you can fend off with a punch to the snout.

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