A fisherman has escaped with only a scratch on his leg after a saltwater crocodile lunged at him at a waterway in Western Australia's far north.
A quick-thinking friend pulled Samuel Birch to safety when the croc lunged as he was retrieving a fishing net at the waterway near Wyndham, authorities say.
Birch was left with just a scratch on his leg in the incident.
"People are encouraged not to risk their lives by entering the water of an established saltwater crocodile habitat," the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said.
"Northern Australian waters all have the potential to contain saltwater crocodiles."
