A Frenchman successfully fought away a crocodile that had clamped on to his head as he swam in Australia's tropical Northern Territory, the BBC reports.

Yoann Galeran, 29, punched and wrestled the saltwater crocodile away, even as the beast tried to win the fight with its signature "death roll."

Galeran, a deckhand, was swimming from shore in the remote town of Nhulunbuy to retrieve a dinghy Sunday when he was attacked by the reptile, according to BBC.

"It went straight away to the top of my head and diving under the water he tried to do that spinning thing," he said.

Galeran said he was about 5 yards (4.5 meters) away from the dinghy when he felt something "like rocks hitting on my head." When he realized it was a crocodile, Galeran said he knew he had to fight for his life and knew to move his body as much as he could.

"I think I scared him," he said of the crocodile, which is estimated to be 8 feet long (2.5 meters).

"If it were a bigger crocodile I maybe wouldn't have any head."

Galeran needed stitches on his head, neck and shoulders.

Crocodile attacks are common in the Northern Territory. In December of 2012 two children were killed within two weeks of each other after crocodiles attacked them, according to Daily Mail.

The BBC published photos of Galrean and his wounds, as well as an audio clip.