Being a trail guide is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Having kept his wits about him, a well-known and experienced guide escaped the jaws of a crocodile estimated to be 3.5m long while he was out hiking with a group on the Kruger Trail in Mpumalanga.

Mark Montgomery, a special knowledge and skills (dangerous animals) guide of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (better known by its abbreviation, SKS DA FGASA), has been a trail guide since 1998.

Having no shortage in experience when it comes to encounters with animals, the incident with the crocodile was a first for Montgomery.

The incident occurred while he had a group on the fifth leg of the Kruger Trail. They had stopped by the Metsi Metsi River, a mere 500m from the Harry Wolhuter Memorial, about 35km from Skukuza.

Montgomery went to a part in the river where he could scoop some clean water out, and upon the third scoop, came face to face with a sight no guide would wish upon another.

“I looked and the crocodile’s head was dead still under the surface. There wasn’t even a ripple or anything. I think I pulled my hand back. If I hadn’t, it would have gotten my arm. The part from seeing the head to realising I’m in the water myself, is not even in my brain. It was that fast. It is literally, he grabs my hand and you hear the water.”

Montgomery says there was a brave guest who had jumped in after him, but the crocodile was so fast, he merely pulled him out from under the guest. They then disappeared underwater.

He had the sense to put his hand around the crocodile’s neck in an attempt to get to its eyes to deter it or a hand in its mouth to try and pry it open. While the reptile was trying to get him under, he was kicking up constantly to try and halt the attack.

When the croc started turning, he did the same, but in the opposite direction the reptile was turning. Then suddenly, he could feel the crocodile was letting go of his hand.

“At that moment I lurched to the surface. The bank was about 1.6m away. I lunged and lunged and grabbed the roots of a stunted jackalberry on the other side. In the meantime, I’m picturing this crocodile grabbing me from the back into the water. I lurched so strongly, I partially tore my right hamstring; the left one is bruised.”

Montgomery managed to get himself out of the water and to safety. He ended up on the opposite side of the riverbank, walked to a shallow part, and crossed back over to where the guests were.

Here he lay down beneath some trees and was assisted by some first aiders among the guests. The assistant guide phoned for help, he was transported to Skukuza, and from there to Mediclinic Nelspruit.

Three surgeries later, there is no infection so far. The wounds have been closed and pins and plates have been put in. The hand is basically saved, and he should get most of it back to full use again, Montgomery says.

He loves what he does too much to let an incident like this stop him from continuing his passion, but he did say he might scoop water with a bucket and rope next time.