An Aussie managed to survive a croc attack through sheer strength and reflexes

Now there's a story that could only happen in Australia. This Thursday, January 28, a 44-year-old man survived a crocodile attack,which occurred while swimming in a park near the tourist town of Cairns, in the north east state of Queensland. According to the emergency services, the man owes his salvation to an extraordinary reflex: he 'simply' managed to loosen the grip of the animal's jaw when it bit him.

The victim was 'surprisingly calm' when help arrived

Paul Sweeney, an employee of the Queensland rescue service service:

He suddenly felt something grip the top of his head, he knew it was a crocodile. He put his hands in (the crocodile's) jaw to free his head and when he did, the jaw closed over his left index finger.

Once his head was released from the grip of the predator's jaw, the forty-something had to swim back to shore, fearing that the crocodile would catch him every moment. The man was in fact 'surprisingly calm'when help arrived on the spot.

The man was 'very lucky'

Still, according to Paul Sweeney, the victim had 'a lot of luck' to come out unscathed, even if he suffered injuries to the head, face, shoulder and hand, assessed after the incident in a Cairns hospital. His recovery should be quick. The rescuer joked:

He's a pretty tough person who said he'll be back swimming soon. So a braver man than me.

After this attack, a team from the Queensland State Department of the Environment was dispatched to trace the crocodile.