Video shows moment crocodile grabs man’s leg in Australia river, then takes his dog
A man stepping into Australia’s Bloomfield River was knocked off his feet by a submerged crocodile, and the moment was caught on video.
He managed to escape, but the reptile then grabbed his dog and vanished with it, the video shows.
The man was identified as 37-year-old Alister MacPhee by Australia’s 9News.com.
“Initial investigations indicate that at around 5:30 p.m. (Feb. 22), a man and his dog entered the water at the Bloomfield boat ramp at Ayton when a crocodile lunged forward, biting the man’s leg and dragging the dog into the water,” Queensland Environment reported in a news release.
“The man sustained lower leg injuries which required medical assistance. The status of the dog is unknown.”
Video of the moment shows the attack happened in less than 40 seconds.
MacPhee is shown cautiously entering the river and he was not yet knee-deep when something is seen lifting him out of the water and carrying him out of camera range.
Splashing gives way to the sight of MacPhee crawling ashore on hands and knees, but the crocodile returns and grabs his dog. MacPhee is then seen striking the crocodile with his fist, only to see it disappear back into the water.
The video concludes with MacPhee holding his bleeding leg at the knee. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in stable condition, Queensland Ambulance reports. Injuries included “multiple wounds to his lower leg,” the service said.
Investigators did not offer an estimate of the crocodile’s size, but they can exceed 16 feet in Australia, with a record size of 20 feet, according to the Australian Museum.
Queensland is in northeast Australia and the last crocodile attack on a human in the area was in November 2021, officials said.
“Under the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan, the Bloomfield boat ramp is in Zone E, which means that any crocodile displaying dangerous behavior is targeted for removal,” Queensland Environment reported.
“This incident is a timely reminder for people ... not to be complacent with their own safety or the safety of their family or pets when they are in or near the water.”
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