A man survives a crocodile attack, his head already in its jaws

Marcus McGowan, 51, has been snorkeling with his wife and a group of friends a permit. While examining corals and fish, he is attacked from behind by a crocodile that puts its jaws on his head.

I thought it was a shark

“At first I thought it was a shark,” he says. “But when I reached out I realized it was a crocodile. I managed to spread its jaws far enough to get my head out of its mouth.”

The crocodile tried to attack him again, but to no avail. Although the man was bitten on the hand, the animal was driven away.

Marcus McGowan was rushed to safety on a boat, after which he was taken to hospital by helicopter. There he could be treated for his head and hand injuries.

The Australian government says it will investigate the incident, although it stresses the difficulty of locating crocodiles in the ocean. Animals often swim tens of kilometers per day.

Crocodiles are common in northern Australia. Since the crocodile hunting was banned in 1974, the population has risen sharply. Where there were about 5,000, the number of crocodiles has increased to about 30,000.