A teenager is undergoing surgery to his arm after being bitten by a crocodile in a far north Queensland river.
The 18-year-old jumped from the wharf on the Innisfail esplanade into the Johnstone River just before 2.30am on Sunday and was attacked by the reptile. He was taken to Innisfail hospital then Cairns, where he is being treated for significant injuries to his arm and hand.
Cairns senior operations supervisor Rita Kelly said the crocodile was not seen before the incident but the man’s injuries indicated he had been attacked by one.
“We’re not exactly sure why he went into the water,” Kelly said. “He is very lucky.
“His arm is still intact, which is very fortunate.”
Brenton Gangemi, the owner of the local wildlife cruises business Snapping Tours, said he believed the culprit croc was a three-and-a-half to four-metre male saltwater crocodile that had been frequenting the area recently.
Gangemi said the man could also have been attacked by a bull shark as they were common in the river.
Saltwater crocodiles are one of Australia’s most dangerous land animals and have been responsible for eight confirmed fatal attacks in Queensland since 1985.
In May 2016 the New Zealand-born photographer Cindy Waldron died after she was dragged under water by a 4.3m saltwater crocodile while walking with a friend at Thornton Beach, north of Cairns.
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