Horrifying video footage captured the moment a swimmer was brutally mauled by a crocodile which then made off with his dog in its jaws. Tourist Alister McPhee, 37, tried to fight back at the terrifying croc, but was only able to save himself.
Mr McPhee was near Port Douglas with his pet Rottweiler and set up a camera to film himself dipping into the water, having no idea he was recording what was nearly his own death.
As he edges towards the water, a crocodile suddenly bursts from it and bites him. After letting him go, the beast then grabs his dog.
Alister can be seen in the video desperately beating the monster to try and save his pet, but the crocodile does not relent. Bleeding heavily and limping on his wounded leg, Alister eventually backs away, before collapsing to the ground.
He was later spotted by an off-duty ranger – with a picture capturing the horrified shock still settling on his face.
Alister was rushed to a nearby clinic in the Indigenous community of Wujal Wujal, before being flown to Cairns Hospital, where he remains in stable condition after surgery.
Wildlife Officers from the Department of Environment and Science (DES) said the croc was found and shot late Thursday.
Local outlets report that during a necropsy on Friday morning, the remains of Alister’s dog was in the crocodile’s stomach.
READ MORE: Giant crocodile who has ‘eaten 300 people’ is feared to be alive [REVEAL]
Josh Patterson, of the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, said one of his rangers found Alister in distress.
He said: “She reported to me that the man said he went to the water’s edge with the dog to get the dog water and was attacked by a crocodile, quite a large crocodile.”
He added that the man was “lucky to be alive,” adding that he “was devastated at the loss of his dog and it’s thought the dog came to his aid.”
Mr Patterson said the Bloomfield River is a “dangerous place” at this time of the year as “it’s warm and the crocs are more active”.
Cooktown Mayor Peter Scott said: “This bloke was very very lucky, but at the same time he’s lost what may have been his best mate so it’s very very sad. It’s awfully tragic that he’s lost a dog who I think was there with him and may have been trying to protect him too.”
DON’T MISS: Woman keeps ‘affectionate’ crocodiles as pets [REVEAL]
Britons terrified as 15-foot crocodile sends swimmers scarpering [INSIGHT]
Crocodile horror girl: I’ll return to Zambia to help build a school [ANALYSIS]