Girl, 11, survives croc attack (man dives onto croc from boat and eye-gouges it to free her)

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | April 6, 2004 - 7:24PM

[dead]

When a three-metre crocodile latched on to the arm of an 11-year-old girl swimming behind his boat, skipper Ray Turner leapt into action.

The former crocodile hunter dived from the boat, landed on the back of the reptile and gouged one of its eyes until it freed the girl. Hannah Thompson was swimming with other children at Margaret Bay near the top of Cape York Peninsula yesterday when the crocodile attacked.

Mr Turner heard screams and a shout of "crocodile" and in no time was hurtling through the air towards the water.

"I was pitching myself off the boat and I could see the black shadow in the water. He came out when I was already launched and I landed right on him," he said today.

"I landed fair on its back and I got a finger in its left eye, I missed the right eye, but he got a fright and he let go," said the 57-year-old, who hunted crocs in Papua New Guinea more than 30 years ago.

He estimated the croc to be around 3.3 metres long. "They will always let go when you go for an eye because it's their vulnerable point and their livelihood."

When Hannah was safely aboard with deep puncture wounds in her lower arm, Mr Turner took the excursion party back to Haggerstone Island, where he runs the guesthouse with his wife Anna.

An airlift was arranged to the Thursday Island Hospital where Hannah was today reported to be in a stable condition.

A young boy on the boat received light scratch marks from the croc during the confusion.

Mr Turner said it was highly unusual for a crocodile to come into such shallow water in daylight with so many people about.

"It was lucky it wasn't a smaller child further out from the boat."

He said Hannah was incredibly brave and appeared to have held her own with the croc while it had her arm.

"She made a joke about losing her watch, she said the alarm was set for five o'clock if you want to go after that crocodile," Mr Turner said.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service crocodile management unit leader Mark Read said wildlife officers would travel to the bay tomorrow to try to find and shoot the crocodile.

The animal continued to circle the boat after the incident.

Mr Read said the next most recent attack in Queensland was in September 2001 when a young girl was bitten on the arm by a small crocodile.

The last fatal crocodile attack in Queensland occurred in 1993, he said.

AAP

[martin_fierro]

"I was pitching myself off the boat and I could see the black shadow in the water. He came out when I was already launched and I landed right on him," he said today.
"I landed fair on its back and I got a finger in its left eye, I missed the right eye, but he got a fright and he let go," said the 57-year-old, who hunted crocs in Papua New Guinea more than 30 years ago.
He estimated the croc to be around 3.3 metres long. "They will always let go when you go for an eye because it's their vulnerable point and their livelihood."

It's Australian for "Studio Wrestling," Mate. <|:)~

[nuconvert]

Sheeesh....week of croc attacks

[MrB]

Or the South Park version:
"I'm gonna sneak up on him and jam my thumb in his butthole, that oughta piss 'im off!"

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[CharlotteVRWC]

"Sheeesh....week of croc attacks"

Its all that global warming making the crocs mad...

[Tax-chick]

croc attack

[Always Right]

When a three-metre crocodile latched on to the arm of an 11-year-old girl swimming behind his boat, skipper Ray Turner leapt into action.

Why was a girl swimming behind a boat in croc-invested waters?

[Skooz]

This month's winner of the John Wayne Memorial Most Macho Mother on Planet Earth award goes to (drumroll) .... Ray Turner.

[dirtboy]

The former crocodile hunter dived from the boat, landed on the back of the reptile and gouged one of its eyes

And who says watching the Three Stooges never pays off?

[Skooz]

And who says watching the Three Stooges never pays off?

LOL!

[dead]

Geez, she brought her croc hunter with her didn't she? You can't say she wasn't prepared.

(Of course, I guess it's possible that she was unwittingly used as bait for a macho show, but we don't know that.)

[Feckless]

"dived from the boat, landed on the back of the reptile and gouged one of its eyes until it freed the girl"

Do you think he has to check those things when he flys.... I'm sure the brass sets off alarms and I doubt they fit in the overhead.

[stainlessbanner]

When Skippers Attack!

[bearkat]

"They will always let go when you go for an eye because it's their vulnerable point and their livelihood."

I've made a note of that. Could come in handy one day...
You never know!

hahaha : )

[LADY J]

Perhaps the kids were already swimming and he happened by in his boat.

Whatever way it happened - she is one lucky little girl!

[nuconvert]

LoL

[BadAndy]

Aussies got gumption! Gotta love that.

[nuconvert]

This method works for ferocious optomestrists, also

[EggsAckley]

Yes, and why didn't they shoot it right after the attack?

"wildlife officers would travel to the bay tomorrow to try to find and shoot the crocodile."