Croc attack survivor just happy to be alive, after losing toes
Leroy Daly may just be the luckiest Territorian after losing just two toes when he stepped on a croc while out hunting. SEE THE PICTURES.
Northern Territory
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LEROY Daly is counting his lucky stars after he was attacked by a more than 4m long crocodile while hunting for magpie geese.
Mr Daly and family members were out at Litchfield Station just outside of Daly River when he was attacked by a large saltie.
The 28-year-old who celebrated his birthday on August 16, just a day before the attack, has lived to tell the tale losing a pinky toe and middle toe on his left foot.
One was lost in the jaws of the croc the other had to amputated.
The Adelaide River resident who grew up at Daly River was frank in his lucky escape stating, “it’s better than you know, it taking my life”.
Mr Daly decided to step about 2m into some water, less than knee height, to collect two geese he had shot and killed.
Unbeknown to him lurking underneath the water’s surface was a crocodile.
“I stood straight on the crocodile, like on the side of his mouth, almost on top of his head,” Mr Daly said.
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“It happened so fast, and next thing you know he’s trying to drag me back into the water and yeah, took me toes.”
He pushed the croc on the head and pulled his leg, leaving his toe in the jaw of the monster reptile.
“It was either my toe or take me under water,” he said.
He said the croc “came back for seconds” trying again to chomp on his legs.
But he managed to get to shore and the people he was with fired a few rounds at the croc.
He reckons the croc had been stalking them for sometime biding its time.
He believes the croc is still alive and intends to go back to find it when better.
After the attack a T-shirt was wrapped around his foot and they raced to the station homestead.
He said he drunk a few beers and had a couple of Panamax to dull the pain before heading to get help.
They then drove to Adelaide River where he was treated by clinic staff before being taken to Royal Darwin Hospital by St John Ambulance paramedics.
He is still in hospital and said he was unable to walk on his injured foot.
He had some sage advice for those heading out hunting or fishing – Be Crocwise.
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