Horror moment safari guide dragged into river by 12ft CROCODILE who latched onto his hand as terrified tourists watched
A MAN has relived the horror moment when he was dragged into a river by a 12ft crocodile as onlookers watched the terrifying scene.
Mark Montgomery was working as a safari guide in South Africa when the monstrous beast latched onto his hand – leaving tourists horrified.
The 52-year-old had been leading a tour group through the 400 mile Kruger Trail and went to collect water from the river when the croc attacked him.
The ranger told YouTube channel Wildside Trails & Training: “It was so quick, so quick.
“I didn’t even see it come out the water.
“I only had time to say ‘Oh s***’ and I was in its jaws and underwater and being taken down.
“I had managed to pull my hand back as it struck otherwise it would have had my whole arm in its mouth.”
The seasoned adventurer admitted he was then in the fight of his life.
Mark said: “I put my hand around its neck and tried to poke its eyes and deter him as I was kicking up off the bottom to get to the surface.
“The crocodile started the roll and I was using my right leg to turn with it and at that moment it just let go of my hand and I breached the surface five feet from the bank.”
The man then grabbed a tree branch and pulled himself to the bank’s edge and was able to escape safely.
Mark said: “There were first aiders in camp who washed the wounds and called a vehicle, which took me to the mediclinic at Nelspruit where they carried out three surgeries on it.
“They fixed the fractures with pins and plates and stitched up all the teeth marks.
“I am lucky there is no infection and I should get full use of it back in time.”
The safari guide was almost at the end of the trip when the horror moment unfolded.
The trail is usually completed doing two legs a year, taking three years to complete in total.
Spots on the trek are auctioned each year with the money raised going to conservation of Kruger National Park.
It’s the largest and oldest park in South Africa.
Mark added: “Being underwater with the crocodile seemed like an age but when I surfaced the time it took to swim to the bank seemed to be forever.
“You are just waiting for that thing to get you again and time just stands still.
“But I had said to myself there is no way this crocodile is killing me today and I am getting out.”
Wayne Stocks, one of the hikers who witnessed the attack, said: “I just saw this massive head fly out the water very close to my head and it just smashed Mark and it took him.
“I could see his whole body being dragged with his head closer to the surface making a bow wave and it looked like he was holding onto the back of a boat and being towed.
“He disappeared and then popped up again on the other side of the river but although the crocodile was fierce, Mark was really fighting it – I am not sure I would have survived.”
It comes as a swimmer was mauled by a crocodile in a wild attack, which left his dog dead.
One crocodile killed a young girl in front of her friends while she was out swimming.