Lee De Paauw, an 18-year-old Australian teen, almost had his armed ripped off by a 13-foot long crocodile after jumping into crocodile-infested waters in an attempt to impress gorgeous British tourist Sophie Paterson.
The teenager barely escaped, punching the crocodile in the face after it got a hold of his arm and tried to drown him with a “death roll.”
Paterson, 24, was having drinks with De Paauw in the early hours of Sunday, March 19, when she dared him to jump into the Johnstone River, which is north of Queensland, Australia.
De Paauw, who appeared on the Fitzy & Wippa podcast from his hospital bed, explained what happened:
“Being dared, I jumped off the jetty and I was swimming back around to the stairs to get out.
I was about to pull myself back up when the croc grabbed my arm and dragged me back out and started rolling me.
I hit it in the nose and it loosened its grip. I got another hit in and it was right in its eye. It dropped me then.”
De Paauw, who suffered lacerations and multiple fractures, was taken to Innisfail District Hospital before being taken to Cairns Hospital for surgery.
“I just wanted to show the backpacker. I got her number and her name is Sophie,” De Paauw said to Fitzy & Wippa.
