Drunk swimmer buys cop beers every year to say thanks for saving his life from huge croc

SENIOR Constable Sean Stanley was just doing his job when he shot at a monster croc which was charging at a drunk swimmer 11 years ago

SENIOR Constable Sean Stanley was just doing his job when he shot at a monster croc which was charging at a drunk swimmer 11 years ago.

He made headlines around the world when he saved the man’s life in March 2008 on Groote Eylandt.

Now, the pair count themselves as mates.

NT Water Police's Sean Stanley saved a man's life in 2008 when the man drunkenly swam out to a croc trap at Alyangula. Senior Constable Stanley shot at a giant croc making a bee-line for the swimmer, allowing him to make it back to the beach. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

Sen Constable Stanley fired six shots from his Glock at the crocodile, which was bee-lining for the then 27-year-old swimmer, saving the drunk man’s life.

Several days earlier police had set a trap about 40m from the beach to catch a 4.2m to 4.3m croc that had been lurking in the area.

The NT News front page story about Senior Constable Sean Stanley saving a drunk swimmer from a charging croc

Sen Constable Stanley said he looked on in disbelief when he pulled up at the main beach in Alyangula to see a drunk man swimming to the croc trap and another drunk man on the beach yelling at his mate while the crocodile circled around.

The croc, which had come between the man and the beach, disappeared under the water after the shots were fired and the man was able to swim to shore.

“At the time it was a brain fade on his behalf and he’s got his s**t together now and doesn’t swim with crocs,” Sen Constable Stanley said.

At the time the man was overheard saying: “What are you shooting at the croc for? I’ve lived in the Territory for 28 years and I’ve swum with heaps of crocs. I know crocs.”

In a twist, Sen Constable Stanley, who now works in the Water Police unit, and the swimmer were introduced to each other by a mutual friend.

The two men often see each other around town and when they do, Sen Constable Stanley is shouted a beer.

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“It was a major event at the time … once or twice a year we talk about it and he just says to me that he was so lucky he wasn’t eaten by a crocodile that day and he thanks me very much and buys me a beer,” he said.

Sen Constable Stanley has not had to use his croc shooting skills since and to his knowledge reckons no other cop has been in that situation.

The croc was never caught and Sen Constable Stanley reckons it would have survived the shots.

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Eleven years on his advice remains the same: always be CrocWise.