Wife saved from croc jaws
A woman who survived a crocodile attack said she would have been crushed to death if her heroic husband had not rescued her by poking his fingers into the saltie's eyes.
Wendy Petherick, 36, fought back bravely when the 2.5m croc attacked her as she washed her face in a creek.
She called for help to her 39-year-old husband, Norm Moreen, who was swimming nearby.
He leapt on the animal’s head and jabbed it in the eyes.
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Ms Petherick suffered leg and hand injuries.
She was recovering in Royal Darwin Hospital last night.
"We got away because we both fought back," Ms Petherick said.
"If my husband hadn’t been there, I would have been killed."
The attack happened after the couple stopped to freshen up at Bamboo Creek in Litchfield National Park on Wednesday evening.
They were driving 160km to Darwin from the Woolaning community.
Ms Petherick was standing on the creek bank when the crocodile exploded out of the water and locked its jaws around both her legs and dragged her into the water.
"I saw the croc out of the corner of my eye," she said.
Ms Petherick said she grabbed the crocodile's jaws with both hands and tried to pull them open.
"I'm a little person," she said. "With a croc that size, I had to fight back.
"If I had been in the water, it would have grabbed my hip, rolled me and crushed me instantly.
"It would have death rolled me."
Mr Moreen came to the rescue as his wife fought the saltie.
"He just jumped straight on top of his head, looking for his eyes," Ms Petherick said.
The crocodile let go when Mr Moreen poked it in the eyes and the beast swam off into a nearby drain.
Mr Moreen said he was not scared tackling the animal to free his wife.
"There was no time for fear," he said.
"It was all common sense."
Mr Moreen said he had seen many crocodiles in Litchfield.
"There are heaps of crocs out there – even bigger than 2m," he said.
Ms Petherick said more signs were needed to warn locals and tourists.
"I think Parks and Wildlife should put up more signs. The biggest issue is safety."
Ms Petherick suffered five 2cm cuts to both upper legs and hands.
She was first rushed to a relative's house at Woolaning and then airlifted to Darwin.
Dr David Read said the injuries were small considering the extent of the attack.
Ms Petherick is expected to be discharged in two days.
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Great escape: Croc attack victim Wendy Petherick owes her life to her husband, Normie Moreen, who poked the saltie’s eyes so it would release her.
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