SYDNEY, March 20 (Xinhua) -- An 18 year old Australian man is lucky to be alive on Monday after being mauled by a crocodile in a far north Queensland river.
A paramedic at the scene told reporters Lee de Paauw had jumped into the Johnstone River early Sunday morning after being dared by friends to swim in the waterway, where a three and a half meter crocodile had recently been photographed.
"There was blood everywhere and he just wouldn't stop screaming," a witness told News Corp.
The man's friends rushed to help retrieve De Paauw out of the water, during the violent attack.
Head reptile keeper, Daniel Rumsey, at the Australia Zoo told Xinhua the teenager is extremely lucky, rating the chances of surviving an attack from crocodile over three meters at less than five percent.
"If it would have bitten him anywhere other than his arm, he would certainly have died."
De Paauw's arm was so badly damaged, initial reports stated the arm would have to be amputated, however surgeons at Cairns hospital were able to save the limb and doctors believe he will regain full use of his arm.
Some experts believe there also may be a possibility the attack could have come from a bull shark which are also known to frequent the waterway.
