AFP=Yonhap News
A man in his 40s, who was bitten by an alligator while swimming in Australia, escaped safely with his bare chin open without losing his cool.
According to the US CNN and the BBC, on the 21st (local time), a 44-year-old man from Queensland in northeastern Australia had his head bitten while swimming in Placid Lake in Cairns City. The crocodile that attacked the male was an Indian crocodile and was about 1.5 to 2 m long.
The crocodile put most of the man’s head in his mouth, and it was a moment that could lead to a terrible situation if the crocodile gave him strong jaw strength.
However, the man calmly put his hand into the crocodile’s mouth, twisted the upper and lower jaws, and momentarily opened the crocodile’s mouth and pulled his head out.
The head and face of the crocodile bite had clear tooth marks, as well as small and large injuries on the shoulders and fingers.
Rescuer Paul Sweeney told the local media, “If the crocodile had bitten the neck, it would have been dangerous because of damage to the aorta.” If I did it wrong, it would have happened a lot. He was really lucky.”
As a result of the rescue team examination, this man was very stable in basic physical conditions such as pulse and blood pressure. It is said that this man, who has lived in his life, has come to swim here three times a week for the past eight years.
The Queensland government’s Ministry of Environment, which was informed of the accident, said it was sending staff to the lake to search for alligators that attacked humans, and that they would kill them as soon as they were found.
Placid Lake, where a man was attacked by a crocodile, is a popular tourist destination located about 15 kilometers from the center of Cairns. However, crocodiles were often seen in the lake, and citizens were trembling with fear. In 2019, news was reported that a Queensland fisherman stricken his eyes when he encountered an alligator and escaped.
Reporter Han Young-hye [email protected]