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14 November 2013 09:32
A British man was playing golf in Cancun when a crocodile attacked
A British golfer managed to escape after being attacked by a crocodile on a golf course in Mexico.
Dougie Thomson, originally from Wishaw, near Glasgow, was on holiday in Cancun and enjoying a round of golf with friends when suddenly the crocodile appeared and snapped its jaws around his thigh.
The 58-year-old told the Daily Mirror his ball was in the bunker, approximately 10 or 15 feet from dense shrubbery, and he wasn't aware there was water behind the bushes.
"I took a shot and it landed on the green. Then I heard this noise behind me and this huge crocodile snapped me by the thigh," he said.
It turns out it was only his friends' quick thinking that helped him avoid more serious injury - with Mr Thomson telling the paper they were actually more shocked than he was because the events unfolded in front of their eyes.
Mr Thomson's mates managed to repel the 12ft reptile, beating it with golf clubs and using a golf buggy to repeatedly run it over until it let go. He said it then started attacking the buggy before returning to the swamp.
The incident serves as a reminder for holidaymakers to arrange comprehensive travel insurance before jetting off - although their needs for it will hopefully be a little more everyday than a crocodile attack.
Mr Thomson revealed he didn't feel any pain at the time as he was in such a state of shock, adding: "It was like a big toy, big black eyes looking at me. Hitting it was like hitting a brick wall."
He needed 200 staples and is recovering at a hospital in Mexico until his family can arrange for him to fly to Toronto in Canada, where he now lives, for more treatment.
He said his thigh is in a very bad way after his muscle was torn by the crocodile and he said other golfers were at the scene of the attack even after it happened with no safety warnings given by officials.
A member of front desk staff at the Iberostar Cancun Golf Course told the Daily Mail that colleagues had seen the incident take place and called for the ambulance that took Mr Thomson to hospital.
Meanwhile, travellers jetting out on golf holidays are able to take out specialist sports travel insurance to provide coverage in the event of golfing injuries.
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