06-15-2003, 04:01 PM
[size 4]Barmaid tells of fight with croc
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A DARWIN barmaid has told how she fought off a 1.65m crocodile that grabbed her leg as she sat on a river bank.
Chris Roberts, 34, who suffered several tooth punctures, cuts and bruises, was today recovering at home after being released from hospital last night.
She she was sitting near the Elizabeth River boat ramp in Darwin's outskirts yesterday when the male croc lunged at her and bit her left leg.
"My dog had started barking and I looked over to see what he was barking at, and as quick as I turned to my right the croc lunged up at my leg, and it grabbed my leg," she told ABC radio.
"It got a hold of my left leg and repeatedly I just kept on pulling with my left leg and kicking it with my right leg at the same time, just kept on kicking and kicking and kicking it, and it let go.
"It grabbed my leg again and I just kept on kicking it. I managed to get away I think between my dog barking and me screaming and kicking ... the animal, it decided it was time to let go.
"I was thinking oh my god my kids are at home ... I need to get out of here pretty fast.
"There were just so many different things that were running through my head at that time."
Parks and Wildlife rangers arrived on the scene about 10 minutes after the attack.
"It was very unusual," ranger Lincoln Wilson told ABC radio.
"Perhaps the dog stimulated it enough to have a go. It's just unusual for an animal that size to have a go at someone so big.
"Fortunately it was only a very small animal and they were very close to medical help, so it all went well."
The rangers caught the crocodile last night.
"Looking at the size of the bite mark and scratching on the leg I would say it was most definitely him," Mr Wilson said.
He described the site as a popular fishing spot, which was normally "very safe".
But Ms Roberts did not think she would return to the area for quite some time.
"I'm going to hang up my fishing rod for quite a while after this I think.
"I'm still in shock. Even now I'm still getting flashes of his head and his eyes that just lunged out of the water at me."
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A DARWIN barmaid has told how she fought off a 1.65m crocodile that grabbed her leg as she sat on a river bank.
Chris Roberts, 34, who suffered several tooth punctures, cuts and bruises, was today recovering at home after being released from hospital last night.
She she was sitting near the Elizabeth River boat ramp in Darwin's outskirts yesterday when the male croc lunged at her and bit her left leg.
"My dog had started barking and I looked over to see what he was barking at, and as quick as I turned to my right the croc lunged up at my leg, and it grabbed my leg," she told ABC radio.
"It got a hold of my left leg and repeatedly I just kept on pulling with my left leg and kicking it with my right leg at the same time, just kept on kicking and kicking and kicking it, and it let go.
"It grabbed my leg again and I just kept on kicking it. I managed to get away I think between my dog barking and me screaming and kicking ... the animal, it decided it was time to let go.
"I was thinking oh my god my kids are at home ... I need to get out of here pretty fast.
"There were just so many different things that were running through my head at that time."
Parks and Wildlife rangers arrived on the scene about 10 minutes after the attack.
"It was very unusual," ranger Lincoln Wilson told ABC radio.
"Perhaps the dog stimulated it enough to have a go. It's just unusual for an animal that size to have a go at someone so big.
"Fortunately it was only a very small animal and they were very close to medical help, so it all went well."
The rangers caught the crocodile last night.
"Looking at the size of the bite mark and scratching on the leg I would say it was most definitely him," Mr Wilson said.
He described the site as a popular fishing spot, which was normally "very safe".
But Ms Roberts did not think she would return to the area for quite some time.
"I'm going to hang up my fishing rod for quite a while after this I think.
"I'm still in shock. Even now I'm still getting flashes of his head and his eyes that just lunged out of the water at me."
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