Croc attacks Varty jun

Justin Arenstein



Nelspruit - The only son of South Africa's most influential conservation family, Boyd Varty, narrowly escaped death in a crocodile attack this week.

The 19-year-old was grabbed by a 2.5m crocodile in "crystal clear" knee-deep water while picnicking with foreign friends on the banks of the Sand River, within the exclusive Sabi Sands reserve, on Monday.

Shocked friends and an armed ranger watched helplessly as the 50kg predator lunged from a shady pool under a nearby tree and tried to drag Varty out into deeper water.

He managed to fight free and was immediately airlifted to Nelspruit's MediClinic private hospital for emergency treatment.

"It was incredibly quick, with the attack taking only seconds. The only reason Boyd wasn't more seriously injured is because he managed to grab onto the root of a fig tree. If he hadn't and the croc had pulled him into deeper water, it would have twisted his leg right off at the knee," said his father, renowned conservationist Dave Varty, on Thursday.

'Interesting life'

"It was a very near thing, but Boyd has always had an interesting life."

Witnesses add that Varty junior appeared to have thrust his leg down the crocodile's throat, effectively choking the predator and forcing it to release him.

Varty, who has spent the past year travelling in South America, was released from hospital six days sooner than expected on Thursday.

His surgeon, Dr Johan Pansegrouw, confirmed that no ligaments were torn and no other lasting injuries were sustained.

"He will, however, have a fairly nasty scar," said Dr Pansegrouw.

The attack is the first of its kind recorded at Sabi Sands, where the Vartys maintain a family home near their exclusive 7 000ha Londolozi Reserve on the western border of the Kruger National Park.

Londolozi, which comprises five individual lodges, is the world's first game reserve to achieve Relais & Chateaux status and was used as a springboard for Dave Varty to found the pioneering ecotourism company, Conservation Corporation (CC) Africa.

Upbeat

Tourists to Londolozi and other Sabi Sands reserves are not allowed swim or venture into the Sand rivers, but concessions are made for local residents.

Dave Varty said on Thursday the attack was actually a "good sign".

"It proves that crocodile populations are recovering their near extinction from the area in the 1960s. Water quality has improved, as have local conservation practices. We don't consider this specific crocodile a problem animal, and will therefore not shoot it," he said.

His son, who used crutches when he left hospital on Thursday, has not yet commented on the attack but hospital spokesperson Robyn Freathy said he was upbeat and did not appear overly traumatised. - African Eye News Service

I'm not afraid of crocodiles. Any that want a crack at me will have to come up thru the drain holes in my shower.

That guy can be very thankfull, he got a second change

Saeed,

That person was quite severely attacked, given that the croc is a sub adult size if male. There was similar attack on a woman several years ago in Australia from a saltwater croc of about 9 feet.

As far as I am aware, all "for real" attacks on people are with crocs that are 13 feet and longer for the Nile and 15 feet and longer with the Indo Pacific croc. In both cases the croc is large and has moved to a diet that is mainly mammal.

Mike

Mike/Saeed
They class any croc over 3 meters as capable of taking a human up here in the Territory. They regually take crocs out of the Katherine river after every wet season, 3 meters and over. There's a 3 metre croc at a place called Donkey camp, on the Katherine that has evaded the traps for 3 years!

I was fishing at a place on the upper Daly river called Claisvalle crossing, while we were there a family from NSW pulled up and set up camp about 15 meters from the water's edge. The kids went swimming, mum done the washing, dad sucked on a stubbie. When we told them that there was a 16 foot saltie that lives on the crossing they weren't to concerend, the kids didn't even get out of the water Well we done our best! If they won't listen to the locals, there not much you can do
Me I won't go swimming up here unless there's a black stripe painted on the bottom.

Bakes

Bakes

What about that tourist recently that went swimming at 11 pm and then "bang" and instant croc food.

Mike

Mike
One of the guys on Base was chatting her up the week before at the pub. He told her not to go swimming anywhere. She got bad advice from the guide and paid the price even though there are sign's everywhere. The guide has been charged by the NT police and is facing jail time, I have forgotten what they've got him on.
Apparently the croc swam past a few people to get her.

Bakes

Just because I like you 3 clowns, I'll give you my favorite link to stuff such as this:

http://www.underwatertimes.com/crocsgators/crocsgators.htm

But don't tell everybody in creation about it!

I wonder if he has any lottery #'s ?

I saw the results of a young man who was attacked and biten on back of his leg above the knee while at his work in the Aussy zoo. I was viewing a T V talk show. They had the Crock Hunter and his wife from Austraila on the program. Showing clips of Crocks and animals there etc.

These guys work with those animals everyday and still it happened to a couple, who are the best in the business. The young man is healed of his terrible injuries and showed the viewer's his battle scars by dropping his pants on TV (the ladies got a shock) and talk about some mangled flesh and scars. The crock was the biggest male at that Aussy zoo. His partner the "Crock Hunter" saved his life.

[ 12-06-2002, 19:04: Message edited by: Chigger ]

Bakes

I'm interested. You mention that family camped 15 metres away from the river bank. How far from the water's edge is it usually recommended to camp/sleep (ie no tent, just a swag)?

Gator1

I was interested in what is the "standard recommendation" as in my youth we used to camp out quite close to the water, but get into fights over who got to sleep in the middle.

One night we spotted the eyes of fifteen "salties" within 50 metres of our camp on the Durack river in the Kymberleys.

An interesting thing happened. A mate woke us up one night screaming at the top of his voice. Our first thoughts was a croc had got him but instead a bug had crawled into his ear and was biting him. We fixed the problem by pouring water into his ear and drowning the bug. I actually spent the rest of the night sleeping with a hand clamped onto my exposed ear.

Nitro

[ 12-07-2002, 17:14: Message edited by: Bakes ]

Nitro

The Army manuals state at least 500 meters (but they're girls ). I'd go about 50 meters. I have slept 4 meters from the water in a mozzie dome on the Roper river, it was an uneasy sleep, I had a shotgun in the dome with me as well(single barrel hammer gun, loaded but broken)

Just a bit of trivial detail Nick but the link that says Florida swimmer survives bite to head isnt all there. This happened close to my dads place. It is an area I know and fish in alot. It appears that the gent was swimming, running in and out of the river while playing with his dog. It also happened right at dusk. Now the water in this stretch of river is very dark stained due to the tannins. If you knew as all the localas do that there are alot of large gators here why the hell would you swim there right at dark? The law in Florida is that any problem gator over 3 feet must be killed not relocated