Kiwi watched helplessly as croc savaged friend

A New Zealander whose mate was savagely mauled to death by a large saltwater crocodile has vowed never to go diving again.

Former commercial diver Nick Sherwood could do nothing to save his friend Russell Butel as he was dragged underwater by the 4.5m crocodile while the two men were collecting aquarium fish north of Darwin in September.

The drama unfolded when the pair were on a mid-morning diving expedition in the usually calm waters of Trepang Bay.

Suddenly Mr Butel disappeared from view - forcing a frantic Mr Sherwood to pull furiously at his safety line in the hope of retrieving his mate.

His worst fears were then realised.

His friend was caught in the jaws of a large saltwater crocodile.

Before he could react, the crocodile had disappeared from view under the water, dragging Mr Butel, who was dead, with him. The next thing he knew, the crocodile re-emerged from the water and was staring at him.

"He eyeballed me for about a minute, sizing me up, I knew he wanted me, too. I just thought 'come on, then' and grabbed a flare.

"I thought I was a goner, too. I stared straight into its eyes and knew that he wanted me.

"I know it sounds selfish, but that could have easily been me, and that still stuns me."

Then the crocodile disappeared again, dragging Mr Butel hundreds of metres along Trepang Bay.

Mr Sherwood waited in the blazing sun for nearly an hour while a rescue team was rushed to the remote area.

The 41-year-old was told to stay there by the line operator but he left an emergency positioning beacon at the spot and returned to the larger boat instead.

"I just didn't feel safe in the dinghy. One swish of its tail and I would have been in the water."

Mr Sherwood and a ranger circled the area where Mr Butel was taken, while a fisherman scanned the coast.

The fisherman spotted the crocodile with the body in its mouth near the beach but the ranger could not get in a clear shot with his rifle. Mr Sherwood insisted on hauling the body out of the water, and said Mr Butel's neck was broken and his body stiff with rigor mortis only four hours after the attack.

"His head was wobbling from side to side and blood was pouring from gashes above his eyes.

"I'm glad I didn't see it happen."

Mr Sherwood had been diving with Mr Butel - one of Australia's most experienced reef fish collectors - for three weeks before the attack.

When he took the job, Mr Butel told him that diving was totally safe and he had never had any close encounters with crocodiles or sharks.

Mr Butel had watched the movie Lake Placid the night before, about a giant crocodile that goes on a killing rampage.

Mr Sherwood has family in Christchurch and Picton and his father owns a holiday home on Waiheke Island, where he lives four months each year.

"I love New Zealand, it's beautiful. I want to retire there.

"There are no crocs - but the sandflies are terrible."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY