Fisherman nearly dies after 10ft crocodile ‘clamped jaws’ over his head
A man has been left with life-changing injuries following a terrifying crocodile attack in Belize.
Joshua Young was spearfishing on the island of Caye Caulker on April 8 when a shadow suddenly appeared.
Th 28-year-old had felt the crocodile pass by, but mistakenly presumed it was a canoe.
Joshua was pulled into a ‘death roll’ by the 10ft beast before it clamped his head between its jaws.
He managed to swim to the shore and, miraculously, pried his head loose from the reptile’s mouth.
Once free, it bit down on Joshua’s hand and snapped at his wetsuit, before the bartender was able to escape and run away.
He was left with lacerations to the head and nine fractured fingers.
His heart also stopped during surgery due to the amount of blood he’d lost.
Joshua said: ‘I’d only been in the water for around 15 to 10 minutes.
‘I felt a canoe run into the side of me so I lifted my head up and had a look around but there was nothing, there was no canoe or boat. I put my head back under and immediately felt something latch onto my head.
‘It took me a few seconds to realise “oh sh*t, it’s a crocodile”. It didn’t hurt, I was too shocked. I was just thinking “what the f*ck”.’
Joshua had tried in vain to hit the reptile with his spear, but it was too long to aim and he dropped it to the ocean floor.
Wearing fins made the difference, he explained, as it meant he was able to swim a lot faster towards shore.
He added: ‘I had to swim back up current with the crocodile still latched onto my head. I was holding it with my hand trying to hold it still so it didn’t shake or try to roll. The whole time it was trying to roll.
‘When I got to shore it was on my head and I pried it off. I can’t describe how much it took for me to open its mouth.’
Joshua had jumped in a taxi and asked to be taken to the nearest medical clinic. He lost consciousness before he arrived, and the driver carried him inside.
Staff at the clinic decided to call an air ambulance, and he was taken to a larger hospital in Belize City.
Joshua’s friends have now launched a GoFundMe in a bid to raise cash to help cover his medical bills.
He can’t return to his work, as a bartender in Belize, until his hand has fully healed.
The 28-year-old also fears he will never feel confident enough to return to his additional job as a freelance surfing instructor.
He said: ‘I haven’t been back in the water yet so I don’t know how I would feel.
‘I feel like I’ve had a near death experience.
‘I never expected it to happen there. It’s where everyone goes swimming or fishing and tourists and families go there. I was very surprised because I’ve never heard of a crocodile or shark attack there.’
To donate to Joshua’s GoFundMe, click here.
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