Croc victim in surgery amid sad outcome for his canine buddy

Shocking video has emerged of the moment a crocodile launched from the water and attacked a man and his dog in Far North Queensland.

A rare and shocking video has emerged revealing the moment a crocodile launched from the water and attacked a man and his dog in Far North Queensland.

At 5.30pm on Wednesday medics were called to a remote boat ramp, 50km south of Cooktown, in an area of the river known as Weary Bay after 37-year-old traveller Alister MacPhee was bitten on the leg by a croc that without warning lurched out of the water.

Alister MacPhee was flown to Cairns Hospital from the Bloomfield River after being bitten on the lag by a large saltwater croc on Wednesday afternoon. Picture: Supplied

The croc dragged the man back into water before the animal released its grip and pursued Mr MacPhee’s dog, who was taken.

Alister MacPhee and his dog enter the water at the boat ramp.

Mr MacPhee was taken to the nearby medical clinic at the Indigenous community of Wujal Wujal before being flown to Cairns Hospital, where he remained in a stable condition on Thursday afternoon.

The moment Alister MacPhee is hit by the crocodile as his dog looks on.

Mr MacPhee hits the crocodile in an attempt to stop it attacking his dog.

He is understood to have undergone surgery on Thursday morning.

Late Thursday a horrific video emerged showing a man in Speedos entering the water before a big splash announced the presence of a large croc.

Moments later the croc released its grip after being distracted by a dog before the man staggered up the boat ramp clutching his bleeding leg.

Mr MacPhee walks away from the water holding his leg after the attack, with his dog nowhere to be seen.

An off-duty Far North ranger has been hailed a hero after coming to the aid of Mr MacPhee.

Passing Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation Nikita Jack-Tayley was quick to act and put recent first aid training into practice after finding the bleeding traveller at the boat ramp, according to general manager Josh Paterson.

Alister MacPhee and his dog before being the pair were attacked by a big croc on the Bloomfield River on Wednesday, February 22. Picture: Facebook

“She is trained to respond as a first responder and this is her following through during a difficult set of circumstances,” he said.

“We are proud that she applied herself and used all her training.

Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation ranger Nikita Jack-Tayley has been hailed a hero after coming to the aid of a man bitten by a croc at the Bloomfield River on Wednesday, February 22. Picture: Facebook

“She made sure she was far enough away from the water’s edge and made sure he was calm and she rang the police and emergency services.

“She is obviously pretty shook up about the whole thing. She got awarded ranger of the month for the region last month and I’ve told her she will definitely be in the running again this month.

The dog missing from the Bloomfield River as a pup.

“I hear the man was devastated at the loss of his dog and it’s thought the dog came to his aid.”

For weeks the croc has been stalking boaties and road work crews and video warnings were issued about the animals via local social media channels.

An aerial photo of the Bloomfield River, south of Cooktown. Pic Nigel Hallett

Bloomfield local Billy Dunn is on the Bloomfield River most days and said the croc responsible for Wednesday’s attack was a newcomer to the area scoping out new territory.

“There is a big new croc in the river and he is a big nasty bugger,” he said.

“He has just been watching everybody and there has been a lot of roadworks, so there have been a lot of people around. I see him all the time because I am on the river a lot.”

The Bloomfield fisherman said the man that got bitten was not a local and new boat ramp facilities had drawn many from outside the area to the notoriously croc infested river.

“We don’t think he is a local,” he said. “People that don’t live here take it all for granted. Locals know, but if you are not in the know there is more risk involved.

“There are always a lot of crocs in this river and last year we counted nine crocs over 4m between the river mouth and waterfall.”

Former Cooktown shire councillor and Ayton resident of 50 years Colin Burns said people needed to learn to live with the potentially deadly predators.

“There are regular stories of people seeing crocs there, I was not surprised to hear about the attack,” he said.

“It sort of like pigs on Cape York, you will never get rid of them all, you just have to live with them.

“People just have to be croc savvy.”

A 38 year old man has been flown to the Cairns Hospital emergency department by the QG Air Rescue 510 helicopter and treated by paramedics after being attacked by a crocodile near the Bloomfield boat ramp in Far North Queensland. The man's dog is believed to have died in the attack. Picture: Brendan Radke

According to the Department of Environment and Science wildlife officers will travel to Ayton to attempt to locate the croc that has been targeted for removal.

“This incident is a timely reminder for people to be Crocwise in croc country and not to be complacent with their own safety or the safety of their family or pets when they are in or near the water,” a DES spokeswoman said.

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Originally published as Croc victim in surgery amid sad outcome for his canine buddy