Crocodile traps man on island for two weeks

Newser Editors | Newser Staff

(Newser) – Talk about a vacation gone wrong: A New Zealand kayaker spent two weeks trapped on an island about 2.5 miles off Western Australia's far northern coast because he feared a 20-foot crocodile would eat him.

The man, named only as Ryan, told his eventual rescuer that he was "stalked" by the creature, which seemed to follow him in his 8-foot-long boat each time he tried to depart Governor Island, reports Australia's AP. He was stuck on the island until Don MacLeod noticed a light on the island, leading him to the tourist on Saturday.

MacLeod, who lives on the mainland near the island, recounts the man's experience to Australia's ABC.

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"He said every time he got in his little kayak ... this crocodile has chased him. ... So he made it back to the island and pulled his kayak up as far as he could get it and headed cross country back to his camp. So he was reduced then to trying to conserve his water and signal [for help]."

The BBC notes that MacLeod knew of the crocodile in question, saying he had seen it "several times" and that it was as long as his 20-foot boat. As for the rescued kayaker, "he wouldn't have made it much longer without water," says MacLeod, "because he seemed to be a bit distressed when we found him." (Another recent encounter with a crocodile ended less positively in Australia.)

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