Woman cruise ship worker, 23, hauled to safety by passenger after crocodile latches on to her legs

 

 

VIa – DAILY MAIL

 

Woman cruise ship worker, 23, hauled to safety by passenger after crocodile latches on to her legs

By Richard ShearsPUBLISHED: 09:53 EST, 2 April 2012 | UPDATED: 04:57 EST, 3 April 2012

A young woman was attacked by a crocodile just two days after a father-of-two was killed by a shark on the same stretch of western Australia coastline.Tara Hawkes, 23, was pulled to safety by a passenger on a cruise ship after a saltwater crocodile latched onto her legs as she was taking a dip in a freshwater pool near Dugong Bay, in the north of Western Australia.

Miss Hawkes, from the town of Busselton – close to where fatal shark-attack victim Peter Kurmann came from – is an employee on the cruise ship True North, a popular vessel among wealthy tourists.

Attacked: Tara Hawkes, a crew member of luxury cruiser True North, was bitten by a crocodile as she swam in the remote Kimberley Ranges in Australia
Attacked: Tara Hawkes, a crew member of luxury cruiser True North, was bitten by a crocodile as she swam in the remote Kimberley Ranges in Australia

American model Jerry Hall and her Perth-based boyfriend Warwick Hemsley recently sailed on the ship.

Police said the luxury vessel had pulled into Dugong Bay with its rich passengers when Miss Hawkes decided to go for a paddle in the nearby pool.

The saltwater crocodile, which can live in sea water and a mixture of salt and freshwater at river mouths, grabbed her by her legs, causing what are believed to be severe lacerations and deep puncture wounds.

Saltwater crocodiles are opportunistic apex predators and have been known to attack humans in the past
Saltwater crocodiles are opportunistic apex predators and have been known to attack humans in the past

After being pulled from the water she was later flown by helicopter – which the ship carries on its own launch pad – to a hospital in the small town of Derby. From there she was expected to be flown by plane to a major hospital in Perth.

Miss Hawkes has posted a striking sunset picture of True North on her Facebook page – a shot which also shows the vessel’s helicopter.

The ship, which can carry 36 passengers, has a staff of 20.

It was purpose-built to take tourists to remote wilderness areas – but the adventures come at a cost. A seven-night trip to the north west region known as the Kimberleys can cost up to £10,000 a person.

Mr Peter Carstairs, from Western Australia’s Department of the Environment and Conservation, said Miss Hawkes was taking a swim in a fresh water pool in an area known for crocodiles.

‘It was not far from the salt water area and…”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2124005/Tara-Hawkes-crocodile-attack-Cruise-ship-worker-23-hauled-safety-passenger.html#ixzz1r0Pcd6oN

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