Having kept his wits about him, well-known and experienced trail guide Mark Montgomery narrowly escaped the jaws of a crocodile estimated to be 3.5m long on a recent Kruger Trail outing.
The attack in which the crocodile snatched him by his right hand and wrist, was a first for Montgomery who has no shortage in experience when it comes to encounters with animals.
Montgomery, a special knowledge and skills (dangerous animals) guide of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA), has been a trail guide since 1998.
Montgomery vs mighty crocodile: A blow-by-blow account
The incident occurred while he took a group on the fifth leg of the Kruger Trail. They had stopped by the Metsi Metsi River, a mere 500m from the Harry Wolhuter Memorial, about 35km from Skukuza.
He went to a part of the river to scoop out some clean water, but upon the third scoop, he was greeted by a sight no guide would wish upon another.
“I looked and the crocodile’s head was dead still under the surface. There wasn’t even a ripple or anything. I think I pulled my hand back. If I hadn’t, it would have gotten my arm,” Montgomery recounted his harrowing ordeal.
“From seeing its head to realizing I’m in the water myself, was that fast. It was literally, he grabs my hand and you hear the water.”
Underwater fight for life and a great escape
Montgomery said there was a brave guest who had jumped into the river after him, but the crocodile was so fast it pulled him out from under the guest. They then disappeared underwater.
Here, he had the sense to put his hand around its neck in an attempt to get to its eyes to deter it or a hand in its mouth to try and pry it open. All the while, the crocodile was trying to get him under; he was kicking up constantly in an effort to halt the attack.
When the croc started turning, he did the same, kicking with his right leg to counter the croc’s turn.
At the same moment he tried to stop himself from pulling his hand out of the jaw, it felt like the croc was letting go of his hand.
“At that moment, I lurched to the surface. The bank was about 1.6m away. I lunged and lunged and grabbed the roots of a stunted jackal berry on the other side.
“In the meantime, I’m picturing this crocodile grabbing me from the back into the water. I lurched so strongly, and I partially tore my right hamstring; the left one is bruised.”
With all the lunging and lurching, he managed to get himself out and to safety.
He ended up on the opposite side of the riverbank, walked to a shallow part, and crossed back over to where the guests were. Here he lay down beneath some trees and was assisted by some first aiders among the guests.
The assistant guide phoned for help; he was transported to Skukuza, and from there to Mediclinic Nelspruit.
Life after crocodile attack: Pins and plates and three surgeries later…
Three surgeries later, there is no infection so far. The wounds have been closed, and pins and plates have been put in. The hand is basically saved, and he should get most of it back to full use again, according to Montgomery.
He loves what he does too much to let the attack stop him from continuing his passion, but he did say he might scoop water with a bucket and rope next time…
A BackaBuddy page, Mark Montgomery Crocodile Attack, has been set up to assist Montgomery with his recovery process.
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