HERALD SUN (Melbourne, Australia) 10 January 07 Crocodile attack survivor talks (Peter Michael)
A policeman rescued by his wife from a monster crocodile has told of his relief at his amazing escape from the jaws of death.
Sgt Jeff Tanswell, his head heavily bandaged and with bite marks clearly visible on his cheek and neck, said yesterday he felt "incredibly lucky" to be alive.
"I can't believe I survived," the 37-year-old Thursday Island policeman said, smiling broadly.
"I'm amazed to be alive at all. I'm over the moon."
The drama happened on Monday as Sgt Tanswell, his wife, Jane, a senior constable at Thursday Island, and two other off-duty officers were enjoying a trip to a reef at Adolphus Island, off the tip of Cape York.
Sgt Tanswell was snorkelling about 12.30pm when the crocodile grabbed him by the head and shoulders and pulled him under the water.
"He said he felt as though he had been hit on the head with a large rock," intensive care paramedic Dennis Walker said yesterday.
"He was underwater and as he returned to the surface he thought someone had slammed him on the head with something very heavy.
"The croc grabbed him and rolled around a few times.
"He said he had the sensation of being in a washing machine. And then it let him go."
Sen-Constable Tanswell has been praised for rescuing her husband.
She manoeuvred the 5m runabout between him and the croc and dragged him aboard.
Then she treated her husband's injuries.
"She did a really good job of patching him up; head wounds can bleed quite heavily and she did a very professional job," Mr Walker said.
Mr Walker, who treated Sgt Tanswell, aboard a rescue launch, said he was very lucky to be alive.
"Usually crocs grab their prey by an arm or a leg, and if they can't get a good enough grip they usually tear off a limb," he said.
"To have been grabbed on the head by a crocodile and swim away alive is quite something.
"He was in good spirits, chatting and joking on the way back. It is quite a tale to tell."
Sgt Tanswell said he thought the croc was a "monster . . . over 4m, but it was probably about 3m".
Thursday Island medical superintendent Dr Peter Arnold-Nott said Sgt Tanswell had "numerous puncture wounds, lacerations and abrasions to the face and scalp".
Dr Arnold-Nott said about six of the wounds needed stitching.
"But given it was a croc attack, they are fairly minor injuries. His wetsuit protected his back and shoulders from deep lacerations."
Sgt Tanswell was yesterday whisked away in a four-wheel-drive driven by his wife and escorted by a Channel 9 minder.
He was reported to have sold his story for an undisclosed sum, believed to be $10,000.
Fellow police also refused to comment.
Acting Cape York Insp Mick Dowie, on Thursday Island yesterday, said: "It is out of our hands. It is under contract, and is not a police matter."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21036148-662,00.html
HERALD SUN (Melbourne, Australia) 09 January 07 Policeman escapes crocodile (Peter Michael)
Police sergeant Jeff Tanswell has spoken of his lucky escape from the jaws of a monster crocodile off Cape York.
His head heavily bandaged and with bite marks on his cheek and neck, the Thursday Island policeman said he felt "incredibly lucky" to be alive.
"I can't believe I survived," the 37-year-old said. "I'm amazed to be alive, at all.
"I'm over the moon."
He said he "thought it was a monster croc, over 4m, but it was probably about 3m".
Sgt Tanswell was snorkelling on Monday on a reef at Adolphus Island, off the tip of Cape York, when the 3m croc grabbed him by the head and shoulders and pulled him down.
"He said he felt as though he had been hit on the head with a large rock," said Dennis Walker, the intensive care paramedic who treated the victim on a rescue launch.
"He was under water and as he returned to the surface he thought someone had slammed him on the head with something very heavy.
"The croc grabbed him and rolled around a few times.
"He said he had the sensation of being in a washing machine. And then it let him go."
Mr Walker said the policeman was very lucky to be alive and it was "one heck of a story".
"Usually crocs grab their prey by an arm or a leg and if they can't get a good enough grip, they usually tear off a limb."
"He was in good spirits, chatting and joking on the way back. It is quite a tale to tell.
"To have been grabbed on the head by a crocodile and swim away alive is quite something."
Thursday Island medical superintendent Peter Arnold-Nott said Sgt Tanswell had "numerous puncture wounds, lacerations and abrasions to the face and scalp".
Dr Arnold-Nott said about six of the wounds needed stitches.
"But given it was a croc attack they are fairly minor injuries," Dr Arnold-Nott said.
His wet suit protected his back and shoulders from deep lacerations.
"It all happened in a flash and it let go of him fairly quickly. It seems crocs don't seem that interested in people. I think certainly he was very lucky."
Dr Arnold-Nott said he was not aware of any croc attacks on humans in the Torres Strait in recent years.
Sgt Tanswell was at the reef in his 5m centre-console runabout with his wife Jane, who is a Thursday Island senior constable, and two other off-duty officers when the croc attacked about 12.30pm.
Mrs Tanswell has been praised for rescuing her husband by positioning the boat between the croc and her husband, retrieving him from the water and treating his injuries.
"She did a really good job of patching him up, head wounds can bleed quite heavily and she did a very professional job," said paramedic Walker.
Sgt Tanswell spoke reluctantly to The Courier-Mail before being whisked off in a four-wheel-drive driven by his wife and escorted by a Channel 9 minder after reportedly selling his story for an undisclosed sum, believed to be $10,000.
His fellow police officers also refused to comment, with Cape York acting inspector Mick Dowie, on Thursday Island yesterday, saying: "It is out of our hands, it is under contract, and is not a police matter."
The Queensland Police Union has denied sparking a bidding war by shopping Sgt Tanswell's story around to rival media agencies.
A spokesman said the union had simply fielded inquiries from reporters at the request of the office after he became overwhelmed by the extent of the media interest.
The spokesman said neither he nor the union had benefited financially from the deal with Channel 9.
He said the decision to go with the network was made only by Sgt Tanswell and his family.
"The officer wanted some respite from the constant media haranguing and wanted some advice on how to deal with the avalanche of media inquiries and we gave him that advice and assisted where we could," he said.
"We assisted him as a service to a member who had asked for help.
"We did it for no personal benefit to me or the union."
A police spokeswoman said the Queensland Police Service had no issues with Sgt Tanswell selling his story to the highest bidder because the incident happened when he was off-duty.
It would have been a different matter if he had been on-duty at the time, the spokeswoman said.
The QPU took the same line.
"He's a free individual and he's entitled to act in the same way as any other person would," the spokesman said.
Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance Queensland secretary David Waters said although it was "unusual" for a union to act as an intermediary, the Alliance would take no position on the actions of the QPU.
"While we don't wish to comment in relation to the police union's involvement in this matter, what is clear is that chequebook journalism devalues good journalism ... what we find is the subjects of chequebook journalism often feel compelled to embellish the truth," he said.
"What you can find is there can be adverse reportage of these news events by the unsuccessful bidding media seeking an alternative angle."
Acting Police Minister Andrew Fraser declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the QPU and its members.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21036834-3102,00.html
