A fisherman had a lucky escape after a 12-foot crocodile jumped into his boat

Crocodile attacks have become more frequent in northern Australia. Photo: VW Pics/UNIVERSAL IMAGES

A 12-foot crocodile jumped into an Australian fisherman's boat. with its «mouth wide open» before a quick-thinking maneuver forced the predator back into the water.

Richard Brookman, 45, collided with the animal while fishing on Sunday evening at St Helens Beach, north of Mackay, Queensland

He had been in the area for about four hours when he saw a saltwater crocodile swim past and soon after swam back to his boat with the tide.

Mr Brookman said that at approximately 10pm local time he had «an eerie feeling that someone was watching me.»

«I turned on my headlight and had to look up the creek, and then these eyes were looking right at me,» he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

«I saw how big he really was and I thought, 'Oh, I'm in trouble,'» added Mr. n Brookman. < /p>

“I stood up to go back down to the stern of the boat, then he went under the water, and I thought: “This is going to end badly.”

“In the blink of an eye he was on top of my boat, and she crawled towards me with her mouth open.»

Richard Brookman from Mackay in Queensland encountered a saltwater crocodile. Photo: ABC

Mr Brookman, an experienced fisherman, quickly stepped over the animal and raised the anchor, causing the reptile to lose its balance and fall back into the water. water below.

“It was just luck that he slipped out,” he explained, adding that his escape left him “numb” with shock.

“Even now I still see the flash of a running crocodile. over my boat,” Mr. Bruckman added.

The boat in which Mr. Bruckman was attacked Photo: ABC < img src="/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/a21e9b39de5ef7f33391a41a38b52851.jpg" /> St Helens Beach, north of Mackay, Queensland, where a crocodile attack occurred. Photo: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE

Wildlife officers said they will search the creek to ensure the crocodile is still there. If it is found, it can be relocated.

“Lunging at a boat next to a boat or at a person is not what we would call typical behavior [of a crocodile],” said Jane Burns, senior wild nature. Ministry of Environment and Science official.

“This is a behavioral issue, so it is definitely being investigated and we will look further into the behavior of this animal,” she added.

Culling requirements

Crocodile attacks have become increasingly common in northern Australia, prompting calls for the animals to be culled.

He was attacked by a crocodile north of Cairns in May last year.

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Two months ago yet A fisherman has gone missing in a crocodile-infested area at Cape York in far north Queensland.

State authorities are considering a proposal to give wildlife rangers powers to issue fines. people who ignore safety warnings and take unnecessary risks around animals.