Drunken Australian swimmer dives head-first into crocodile

An Australian who went for a drunken dip in the sea got more than he bargained for when he dived into the jaws of a large crocodile. Matt Martin was camping alone near a beach in northern Queensland when he decided to go for a dusk swim, despite having drunk what he later admitted was "half a slab", or 12 cans of beer. When the 35-year-old construction worker dived into a wave, he butted heads with a submerged saltwater crocodile. "I thought I was dead. It was sort of like when you hit rocks but the rocks had give and movement in them," he said. "The next moment, I’m standing up and something in my head was screaming 'it's a croc' and I just started to back-pedal." The giant reptile, apparently as surprised as he was by the encounter, lashed out with its formidable jaws, inflicting deep gashes to Mr Martin's face. He managed to scramble out of the water but instead of seeking immediate medical help, decided to sleep off his drinking binge. Rested after a night’s sleep, he then drove himself to hospital in the town of Mossman but had to hold a blanket to staunch the bleeding to his face which required more than 40 stitches.