A young boy is lucky to be alive after he was attacked by a crocodile on a Northern Territory beach.
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The 13-year-old was playing with friends in the mangroves in the community of Numbulwar, 480km from Katherine, on the Gulf of Carpentaria coast, when a 2m croc tried to snatch the boy.
Police said the reptile grabbed the boy's leg and tried to drag him into deeper water, but the child managed to grab hold of mangrove roots.
All attempts to free himself from the jaws of death were unsuccessful, but one of the boy's friend's bravely stepped in.
NT Police said the 16-year-old "wrested" the crocodile to save his friend, while a community member, who did not want to be named, said the teenager stabbed the crocodile in the eye with a stick in an attempt to free his friend who suffered leg injuries in the croc attack.
"It is one of the most epic and impactful stories of young bravery that I have experienced," the source said.
The boy had to be airlifted from Numbulwar to Darwin for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, the Katherine Times understands Numbulwar School organised a special assembly to celebrate the "heroic" actions of the 16-year-old good Samaritan, who provided first aid to the victim and carried him to the local clinic.
Only in January, a nine-year-old boy had to be airlifted from Kakadu National Park to Darwin in a critical condition after he was bitten by a crocodile.
In July last year, a man was attacked by a two-metre saltwater crocodile at Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park.
The 67-year-old suffered non-life threatening injuries to his arm and back.