An Australian man almost lost his head while snorkeling off the northern coast of the continent after suffering a bite from a sea-faring crocodile, according to a statement cited by multiple outlets.
Marcus McGowan, 51, was snorkeling off the coast of Queensland with his wife and a group of friends when his head was suddenly encased by the jaws of a powerful animal. Initially, McGowan believed he had been attacked by a shark, “but when I reached up I realized it was a crocodile,” he said, according to CNN.
A man snorkeling off the coast of Australia was attacked by a crocodile – and survived by prying its jaws off his head.
https://t.co/8WigZys6QH— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 30, 2023
McGowan told The Guardian he managed to pry open the crocodile’s jaws just enough to wriggle his head out when the reptile moved to attack him again.
“The crocodile then attempted to attack me a second time, but I managed to push it away with my right hand, which was then bitten. I was able to escape the crocodile’s grip once again and swim to the safety of the boat which was coming after they heard our screams for help,” McGowan said in a statement cited by the outlet.
McGowan reportedly believes the crocodile was a juvenile between two to three meters (six to nine feet) in length.
After getting himself to safety, McGowan was taken 45 minutes by boat to Haggerstone Island, where he was then transported via helicopter to a hospital and treated for laceration and puncture wounds to his scalp, head and hand, The Guardian reported.
“When you enter the marine environment, you are entering territory that belongs to potentially dangerous animals, such as sharks and crocodiles,” McGowan continued. “I was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” (RELATED: Man Torn To Pieces By 40 Crocodiles After Falling Into Their Enclosure)
Saltwater crocodiles are just one of 27 species of the reptile and are typically the largest, growing up to six meters long (approximately 20 feet) and weighing up to 1,000 kilograms or 2,200 pounds, according to the Australia Zoo. The saltwater crocodile can hold its breath up to eight hours and generally ambushes its prey, grabbing them with their jaws before death rolling them into the water.