TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN (Australia) 05 January 05 Croc canter starts calf catastrophe (John Andersen)
A Mission Beach man who tore a calf muscle when running away from a crocodile in the stinger net at North Mission Beach has developed a life threatening thrombosis in his leg.
Angelos Angelopoulos was swimming inside the net on December 15 when a crocodile estimated to be 2.5m brushed alongside his body as he floated on his back in the water.
Mr Angelopoulos told the Townsville Bulletin at the time that he thought a log with sharp twigs on it had drifted against him while he floated.
He said that when he stood up and saw it was a crocodile he ran so fast through the metre-deep water that he tore his calf muscle. The pain was such that he thought he had been bitten by the crocodile and it wasn't until he collapsed on the beach and saw that there was no blood that he realised he had torn the muscle.
He was admitted to hospital for treatment in Tully and later released.
He told the Bulletin yesterday that he had developed a life-threatening thrombosis, a blood clot that forms inside an artery, from the muscle tear.
Mr Angelopoulos said he had to travel to Cairns for treatment.
"I wasn't allowed to travel or leave Cairns over the entire Christmas break due to the lack of medical facilities at Mission Beach," he said.
"I've been getting blood tests daily, blood thinning injections and pills and been advised to continue taking blood-thinning pills for six months."
Mr Angelopoulos said he knew the chances of encountering a crocodile in the net a second time were remote, but would not be putting it to the test.
"Next time I feel a bit hot I'll avoid having a dip at the beach up here. It's just not worth it for what I've gone through. I think I'll prefer the pool for a while," he said.
He said Mission Beach needed permanent lifeguards on patrol and a greater monitoring of crocodile movements by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
Croc canter starts calf catastrophe