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THE NEWS STORY

Woman wrestles croc to rescue camper
17:51 AEST Mon Oct 11 2004

A 60-year-old woman jumped on the back of a four-metre crocodile as it dragged a man from his tent near a beach in far north Queensland.

The crocodile let go of the man but then turned on the woman, pulling her towards the water before another person shot dead the killer reptile, said wildlife officers.

Authorities said the two were lucky to survive the dramatic attack, which took place at 4am (AEST) Monday as they slept at Kalpower Holding at Bathurst Bay, nearly 300km north-west of Cairns and near Lakefield National Park.

The injured pair was evacuated by helicopter and flown to Cairns Base Hospital, where the woman was being treated for a broken arm and cuts and bruises and the man for a broken arm, a broken leg and injuries to his body.

Royal Flying Doctor Service public affairs manager Stephen Pemberthy said the 34-year-old man was asleep in a tent with his wife and baby, about 50 metres from the water's edge

, when the 4.2m crocodile attacked.

A 60-year-old woman camped nearby saw the reptile dragging the man by his legs and jumped on to its back.

"She was also camping there and she saw what was happening and she jumped on the croc," Mr Pemberthy said.

Tackled by the woman, the crocodile let go of the man and grabbed her instead, dragging her towards the water.

She was saved when a third person, who has yet to be identified, shot the crocodile dead.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) northern regional service director Clive Cook said the campers had managed to set off a rescue beacon, capturing the attention of the QPWS who were in the area eradicating wild pigs.

A QPWS helicopter went to the site and evacuated the pair, stabilising them at the ranger station at Lakefield National Park while alerting the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).

The RFDS then flew them to the Cairns Base Hospital just before 12pm (AEST) Monday.

"[The victims suffered] mostly fractured limbs and they were pretty luckily basically," Dr Charles Ellis, of the RFDS, told ABC radio.

Mr Cook said a fly-by of the area had confirmed the crocodile was dead.

QPWS northern region conservation services manager Dr Mark Read said the area where the attack occurred was a remote site.

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John aka NitroX

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