'Croc hanging off me': Tour guide attacked by crocodile during river cruise

A 60-year-old man is in hospital in the Northern Territory after being bitten on the arm by a crocodile during a cruise on the Adelaide River.

St John Ambulance officials took a triple-0 call after the incident on Monday and sent a crew to rendezvous with the victim and those helping him.

But they said by the time the crew arrived the man had been taken to the Palmerston Hospital in a private car.

NT Health said on Tuesday the man was in a stable condition but would not provide further details on the nature of his injuries.

Shane Dearly was attacked by a crocodile while on a boat in the Northern Territory. Source: Nine News/AAP
Shane Dearly was attacked by a crocodile while on a boat in the Northern Territory. Source: Nine News/AAP

'I've got a croc hanging off me'

The victim was identified by 9News as Sean Dearly, who works as a tour guide and said the crocodile was "little".

"There was a little croc around the corner of my boat, it just spun onto me and I just went, 'what the hell'," he told 9News.

"I lifted my arm up...and I've got a croc hanging off me."

Work safety group NT WorkSafe said its on-call inspector received an anonymous call on Monday evening from a concerned member of the public regarding the incident on a tourist attraction.

"NT WorkSafe is making inquiries to verify the information provided in the call," it said in a statement.

However, it said all Territory businesses were reminded it was a requirement to notify of any serious injuries in the workplace.

The incident happened on the Adelaide River in Darwin (pictured). Source: Getty Images
The incident happened on the Adelaide River in Darwin (pictured). Source: Getty Images

"While there are no specific regulations relating to crocodiles, crocodiles are an apex predator and are a well-known hazard in the Top End for all businesses operating in their habitat," the statement said.

"All businesses operating in crocodile habitats have a duty to minimise, or if possible eliminate the risk of injury from crocodiles."

The Adelaide River, about an hour from Darwin, is well known for its jumping crocodile cruises where the animals are lured out of the water with food.

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