Man bitten by crocodile is shot by rescuer

A man who was rescued from the jaws of a crocodile which bit him on the arm had the double misfortune to be shot by his colleague in the process.

The unlucky victim, Jason Green, was a reptile farmhand in Australia who had been collecting eggs on a riverbank in the Northern Territory at the time.

He disturbed one of the animals close to a nest which snapped at him and encased his arm between its teeth. A co-worker was quick to react and took aim with his shotgun, forcing it to release Green. But the next shot missed its intended target and instead caught Green in the arm.

"The male colleague shot at the crocodile, causing it to let go of the victim's arm, but a further shot hit the victim in the upper right arm," a Northern Territory police statement said.

Green was flown with a bite and a bullet wound by helicopter to a Darwin Hospital for surgery.

Police Commander Bob Harrison said his injuries were not life-threatening however. "He's going to be very sick and sorry and have a very good story to tell."