Crocodile attacks teenager who jumped into river for a dare

Saltwater crocodiles can reach up to 23ft in length and weigh up to 1.2 tonnes. Credit: AP

An Australian teenager has been seriously injured after jumping into crocodile-infested waters for a dare and being attacked by one of the huge reptiles.

Paramedics said Lee de Paauw was lucky to have escaped with his life, after it emerged the body of a man who may also have been attacked by crocodiles was pulled from waters nearby.

Speaking to Australian media following the attack, the 18-year-old said he jumped into the river near a hostel in the Queensland town of Innisfail at around 2.30am local time on Sunday morning, after being dared to prove that “backpackers were more likely to get eaten by a crocodile than Australians".

“We decided to go down to the river to test the theory,” he said, adding that when the crocodile grabbed him he thought he was "gone".

Mr de Paauw underwent surgery on his arm and is recovering in hospital.

The river which runs past the town of Innisfail. Credit: Rob and Stephanie Levy/Flickr

"He was talking about the local creek saying 'I can swim out' and so we said 'go on then', but we didn't think he would do it," British backpacker Sophie Paterson said.

"It all happened very fast, pretty much as soon as he jumped in, there was splashing and screaming. There was blood everywhere and he just wouldn't stop screaming."

Mr de Paauw, from Queensland, managed to pull himself free of the saltwater crocodile and out of the water.

Paramedics said he was incredibly to have managed this before the reptile went into a "death roll", pulling Mr de Paauw underwater and drowning him.

Saltwater crocodiles are aggressive and can live for up to 70 years, and because they grow throughout their lives, they can reach up to 23ft (seven metres) in length and weigh up to 1.2 tonnes (2,600lbs).

Meanwhile Queensland authorities pulled a body - believed to be that of a man who vanished while spearfishing alone on Saturday - from nearby waters on Monday.

The 35-year-old man's boat was found anchored off Palmer Point, about 30 miles (50km) north of Innisfail, on Saturday evening, with his spear gun floating in the water nearby.

Wildlife officials are hunting for the animal, believed to be around 13ft (fur metres) long.

Crocodiles have been a protected species in Australia since the 1970s, which has led to an explosion in their population across the country's tropical north.