Farmer Survives Crocodile Attack by Biting Back

A farmer in northern Australia gave an aggressive 10-foot crocodile a taste of its own medicine.

60-year-old northern Australian cattle farmer Colin Devereaux received the surprise of his life while mending some fences near the Finniss River. Without warning, a massive crocodile sprung up and attached itself to his foot.

Devereaux had paused his work to examine some fish swimming down the middle of a rapidly receding, filthy waterway. He soon realized why they were clustered in that peculiar location. “I took two steps and the dirty bastard latched onto my right foot," Devereaux recounted to ABC Australia. "It was a big grab, and he shook me like a rag doll and took off back into the water, pulling me in."

Devereaux furiously fought back against his 10.5-foot attacker. He kicked the croc in the ribs, and when that didn’t work bit deeply into the beast’s face.

"I was in such an awkward position,” the survivor said, “but by accident my teeth caught his eyelid. It was pretty thick, like holding onto leather, but I jerked back on his eyelid and he let go.”

Devereaux continued: "I leapt away and took off to where my car was. He chased me for a bit, maybe [13 feet], but then stopped."

When Devereaux stumbled out of the woods, his brother immediately drove him to the Royal Darwin Hospital, 80 miles from their home in Twin Hill Station. The spirited farmer spent an entire week in the hospital recovering from his near-fatal tussle. The hungry crocodile badly wounded Devereaux’s leg and foot, requiring a skin graft. Eventually, though, he regained sensation in his toes.

“It all happened in about eight seconds,” he said of the incident. “If he had bitten me somewhere else, it would have been different.”

Crocodiles are all over Australia, though they rarely pounce on humans. Fatal instances are even more uncommon. Since 1985, according to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, there have been just 47 recorded crocodile attacks. Only 13 of those, roughly 31 percent, were fatal. While humans seem to have an advantage over crocs in Australia, the same unfortunately cannot be said for turtles.