http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12791022-17001,00.html
Victim tells of croc terror
By Paul Dyer
April 08, 2005
From:
Attack ... Chief Ranger Lyndall McLean with the crocodile. A NORTHERN Territory man has told how a 4m saltwater crocodile jumped into his boat and bit him on the head in an unprovoked attack.
Mine worker Geoff Bolitho, 36, escaped with a puncture wound to the top of his head, one to his left arm and scratches.
"I have got a story to tell now - I am just lucky I can tell it," he said.
"I think I was very lucky fella - I don't think I will be camping out for a while."
Rangers at Kakadu National Park later found and shot the aggressive saltie.
Mr Bolitho, who lives at Jabiru about 250km east of Darwin, told the Northern Territory News he had been fishing on the East Alligator River when the attack happened about 8pm on Tuesday.
He and two mates had anchored their boat near the junction with Magela Creek.
The trio had set up their mosquito net over the boat's canopy and were preparing to go to sleep for the night.
"We had just finished dinner," he said.
"I was sitting back in a chair - and it was just a 'bang' out of the blue over my left shoulder. It came up over the side of the boat."
Mr Bolitho, a father of three, said the attack happened "lightning fast".
"It was just a blur - one big commotion," he said.
"I said, 'that bloody crocodile has just bitten me'.
"You don't hear about them jumping in a boat to attack somebody too often."
Mr Bolitho said the attack was unprovoked.
He said the large boat - more than 5m long and 2m wide - had saved his life.
"I could understand if you were cleaning fish in the water or hanging over the side of the boat, but we were sitting back in there minding our own business," he said.
"It would have made a mess if we were in a dinghy - or maybe knocked everyone out.
"And I see people in tinnies out there all the time."
Mr Bolitho said they spotlighted the saltie lurking about 20m from the boat after the attack.
He said they packed up and left the scene.
"There wasn't a lot of blood - it was just the shock," he said.
"But I didn't want to be out there any more."
Mr Bolitho reported the attack to Kakadu staff on Wednesday morning.
A hunting party of five - including traditional owners and park rangers - located the croc about midnight that night.
They harpooned and shot the croc.
Kakadu operations manager north Marcus Sandford said he was confident the right crocodile had been killed.
"The crocodile was the only large animal in that part of the river," he said.
"And it was quite aggressive when the boats approached.
"But the behaviour of this crocodile is fairly atypical - we haven't observed crocodiles lunging against the side of boats."
Mr Sandford said people always needed to be wary of crocs when fishing in Top End waters.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12783444-17001,00.html
Croc killed after angler attack
April 07, 2005
From: AAP
A 4m crocodile believed to have attacked a Northern Territory fisherman has been killed by park rangers.
The crocodile was found and destroyed last night by Kakadu National Park staff in the East Alligator River, near the junction of Magela Creek.
The fisherman suffered only minor injuries, including lacerations to the upper arm and head, during the attack at 8.30pm (CST) on Tuesday.
He had been in a 5.3m boat with two other fishers.
The trio were not fishing at the time and the attack was unprovoked, Greg Hunt, parliamentary secretary to the Environment and Heritage Minister, said.
Rangers who hunted the crocodile said it had displayed the same aggressive behaviour as that identified when the attack occurred, Mr Hunt said.
"Kakadu National Park is in crocodile country," he said.
"All fishermen should be particularly aware that there are many crocodiles around at this time of the year and to be extremely careful and take necessary precautions."