Heroic hubby saves wife from croc's jaws

Melbourne, Apr 3 : A heroic Aussie husband jumped on the back of a large crocodile to save his wife, who was clenched in the reptile's jaws, the police officials said.

The 36-year-old woman sustained deep puncture wounds in the attack, which took place at a popular tourist spot in the Litchfield National Park, 160 kilometers south of Darwin, the Northern Territory capital.

The woman was standing on the riverbank when the 2.5-metre crocodile lunged and dragged her into the water, the police said.

"The animal released the woman and swam into a concrete culvert," theage.com.au quoted police, as saying.

The woman was taken to Woolaning community for first aid treatment for eight puncture wounds in her right thigh, a puncture wound in her left thigh and a severe cut to one of her fingers.

She was then transferred to the Royal Darwin Hospital. A spokeswoman of the medical centre said that she was in a stable condition.

Ranger Luke Playford said it was the first crocodile attack in the Litchfield National Park, which is regularly trawled for the reptiles.

"The water is only 1.5m deep where the crocodile attacked the woman - which highlights that at this time of the year, following the wet season rains, saltwater crocodiles can find their way into rivers and creeks where they are not normally found," he said.

ANI