Deutsche Welle (English edition)
Australia: Soldier gravely injured by crocodile
An Australian soldier was "lucky to be alive" after being attacked by a crocodile in Queensland. It was not clear how or why the man ended up in crocodile-infested waters.
An Australian army soldier was severely injured in the head and chest after being mauled by a saltwater crocodile on Friday afternoon in Far North Queensland.
An army colleague who came to his aid had reportedly suffered lacerations to his arms.
Both men were admitted to a hospital in the coastal city of Cairns on Friday night. They are in stable condition.
How did the crocodile attack the men?
Lockhart River Mayor Wayne Butcher told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the two "had been swimming in croc-infested waters." He said that one was attacked and the other tried to help.
Other reports, however, said it was unclear whether the men went swimming or fell into the waters while fishing near a coasting fishing village on the Cape York Peninsula. The incident took place about 800 kilometers, or 497 miles, north of Cairns. Rescue operations took about seven hours.
Denis O'Sullivan of the Queensland Ambulance Service told the media the man, reportedly in his early 20s, suffered severe blood loss.
"I think he's very lucky to be alive and here today to tell the story," he told the media.
The crocodile was reportedly about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long. The defense department also told Australian Associated Press (AAP) that the incident was being investigated, without adding any further details.
It is not clear whether the men were on or off duty at the time of the attack. Wildlife officers from the Department of Environment and Science launched an investigation later in the day.
There are about 100,000 to 200,000 saltwater crocodiles living in the wild in the country, according to data from the Northern Territory government. The Northern Territory with the highest number of crocodiles in Australia.
Butcher, the mayor of Lockhart River, added in comments to ABC media that the crocodile population had spiked in recent years on Cape York Peninsula and asked people to be careful of signs that warned against going into dangerous waters.