Teen who was mauled by croc admits he jumped into river to impress British backpacker

Fiona Simpson21 March 2017

An Australian teenager has admitted he was trying to impress a “beautiful” British backpacker when he was mauled by a crocodile after jumping into infested water.

He fought back against the predator and managed to escape but he suffered serious injuries to his left arm and hand.

Speaking to Australian TV channel 9, the romantic teen said he leapt into the water to impress “beautiful, kind and caring” holiday-maker Sophie Patterson.

'For Sophie': Lee De Paauw was trying to impress a British backpacker
Channel 9 news

He claimed he “did not know there were crocs in the water” and said: “I did it for Sophie.”

Mr De Paauw then went on to tell camera crews that he was forced to “punch the croc in the snout and then the eye” in a bid to escape.

Romantic efforts: Sophie Paterson witnessed Lee De Paauw leap into croc infested water to impress her
Channel 9 news

Horrified onlooker Miss Patterson described the scene as “something out of jaws”.

She added: “There was a lot of blood.”

Brenton Gangemi, the owner of the local wildlife cruises business Snapping Tours, said he believed the culprit croc was a three-and-a-half to four-metre male saltwater crocodile that had been frequenting the area recently.

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