2LT National News
Elderly man hospitalized after crocodile attack in northern Australia
Jul 11, 2023
CANBERRA, July 11 (Xinhua) — An elderly man is in hospital after being attacked by a crocodile in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT).
The 67-year-old was swimming at Wangi Falls, a popular spot in the Litchfield National Park south of Darwin, on Monday when he was mauled by a saltwater crocodile estimated to be two meters long.
He was given first aid at the scene by Taneka Starr, an off-duty police officer, and a nurse before being rushed to the nearby Batchelor medical center to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and back. He was later transferred to the Royal Darwin Hospital.
Dean McAdam, head of Northern Australian Parks at the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, said access to Wangi Falls would be closed until authorities could guarantee the public’s safety.
It is the fourth crocodile attack reported in the NT in 2023, none of which have been fatal.
More than 160 crocodiles have been removed from waterways across the NT, including one measuring 3.4 meters from Wangi Falls in January.
(File photo).
