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ABC News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- ABC News
Viral video shows crocodile stuck under vehicle at Cahills Crossing in Kakadu National Park
A video of a large crocodile becoming stuck underneath a ute at a notorious river crossing in the Northern Territory has gone viral online. Nearly four million people have watched the video on social media platform TikTok since it was shared on Monday by user Matteo Mastratisi. The footage shows a vehicle driving over a crocodile at Cahills Crossing in Kakadu National Park. The infamous crossing, which passes through the East Alligator River, is known for its high population of crocodiles. Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Mr Mastratisi said he was filming Cahills Crossing to show his friend, who lives on the eastern side of the river in the remote community of Gunbalanya. "The driver had no idea there was a croc there, you couldn't see the croc under the water," he said. "The driver goes and hits a bump. You wouldn't want to stop in the middle of a crossing, especially a croc-infested crossing. "As soon as it was safe to do so, he stopped. I don't even think the driver knew what was stuck under the car." Mr Mastratisi said he spotted about 15 crocodiles near the crossing. "In the last 10 years of doing work [in Arnhem Land], I have never seen a car get stuck on a crocodile," he said. "It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime video capture." NT crocodile expert Grahame Webb said he would be surprised if the crocodile was permanently injured after the incident. "They are tough and they've got amazing abilities to fight any infection," Professor Webb said. "They're pretty well-armoured. They're great survival machines so I doubt the croc is seriously injured by this."
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Frightening moment massive beast emerges from the water after four-wheel-drive tried to cross flooded weir
Shocking footage has emerged of a massive crocodile getting stuck underneath a ute at an infamous flooded crossing in the Northern Territory. Matteo Mastratisi filmed the terrifying incident while parked at one end of Cahills Crossing in Kakadu National Park on Sunday around 12pm. The Northern Territory resident had been waiting over two hours for the tide to go down to make the crossing himself when he spotted the driver of the black 4WD make a go for it. He explained the crocodile was not visible because the water was high. The footage showed the animal being dragged through the water as its jaw popped up by the vehicle's rear tyres. As the vehicle slowly drove through the water, it could be seen struggling to move forward while the huge reptile wrestled to get free. The driver edged forward onto the verge at the other side of the crossing before reversing slightly, allowing the crocodile to break free. On the right side of the ute, the crocodile poked his head up before rapidly swimming away. View this post on Instagram A post shared by |Matteo Mastratisi| (@matteo_mastratisi) 'You could see him hit a bump,' he told Yahoo News. 'You could definitely tell they had no idea what they were driving over until that monster came from underneath.' 'It was definitely a rare, bizarre moment,' Mr Mastratisi, who hosts dance workshops in remote communities with his company Break'n Barrierz. He explained the driver of the ute did the 'sensible thing' by slowing driving through the water and not stopping despite the encounter with the crocodile. Mr Mastratisi said the vehicle could have easily been dragged into the water if the driver had stopped just a few seconds later. 'There's not much else he could have done. I'm definitely not going to get out of the car and check what's under the car in croc-infested waters.' Mr Mastratisi said he's not sure if the driver of the ute got out of the 4WD to check what had happened because he had to move his own vehicle. He noted the crocodile survived the encounter unscathed and he spotted the fierce animal 'chilling in the water' next to the crossing when he drove past. The dance teacher said the animal seemed 'annoyed' at being dragged through the water, but not hurt in anyway. Mr Mastratisi's footage of the shocking incident has racked up over one million views across his social media platforms, with many concerned about the crocodile. 'Glad they are such tough creatures,' one viewer commented. 'I crossed this a minute before this fella and the water was fast flowing and deep! Poor croc didn't know what was happening! Imagine the story he tells his mates,' another quipped. 'No way haha!!!! Cahills crossing strikes again,' a third wrote. Cahills Crossing is an infamous feeding ground for crocodiles in Kakadu National Park. This is due to an abundance of fish moving upstream at the crossing during high-tide.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Horrifying moment car runs over crocodile at infamous crossing
This is the horrifying moment a ute was filmed running over a crocodile at an infamous crocodile-infested river crossing in the Northern Territory. In the footage, a black ute can be seen making its way through Cahill's Crossing when a large crocodile surfaces from underneath its back wheel. The reptile appears to be stuck as it is dragged by the car, with its mouth hanging agape. Sensing something is wrong, the ute then attempts to reverse, freeing the animal from underneath its wheels before placing the car in drive and running over the lower half of its body again. Matteo Mastratisi, who captured the wild moment on video, told that it was 'definitely unintentional.' 'It wasn't the driver's fault. You couldn't see the croc until he went over it and he couldn't stop the car in the middle of the crossing either,' he said. Mr Mastratisi believed the got away largely unscathed. This is hardly the first time the infamous waterway has made headlines. Situated within the Kakadu National Park, the river is home to over 10,000 known crocodiles. According to the park's website, there are around five to nine crocs per kilometre. Late last year, two men had to be rescued after their ute washed off the road and swept to its side, forcing them to climb out the window and take refuge on the side of the vehicle. A spokesperson told at the time that traditional owners at the park are disappointed at the behaviour, noting it 'puts everyone involved at risk of injury or even death.' Just one month earlier, chilling video emerged of careless families fishing while a young child played at the water's edge of the river. In the clip, a young boy could be seen climbing over rocks in the murky water as a large number of huge saltwater crocodiles lurked nearby. Kakadu continues to urge people to practice croc safety, reminding visitors that 'crocodiles usually hunt by staying submerged and can attack in knee-deep water.' 'Observe all safety warnings, always be aware of you surroundings, maintain a safe distance from the waters' edge and never swim alone.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Terrifying moment after driver's 'risky' move on notorious crossing
A video of a driver getting 'bogged on a crocodile' at Cahills Crossing has stunned thousands of Aussies, many of which said they had never witnessed such a 'bizarre' sight. Matteo Mastratisi was parked at one end of the infamous causeway in Kakadu at around 12pm on Sunday when he accidentally filmed the ute's encounter with the very annoyed reptile. The Northern Territory resident had been waiting for the tide to go down for about two hours when he whipped out his phone to record the lapping water and asked a friend if it was safe to cross. It was then the driver of the black 4WD, which had also been in line, started inching toward the other side. 'Because the water was quite high, you couldn't see that there was a croc on the actual crossing, and all of sudden you see him hit a bump,' Matteo told Yahoo News on Monday. 'You could definitely tell they had no idea what they were driving over until that monster came from underneath.' Video footage shows the clearly irritated animal being dragged through the water by the vehicle's rear tyres. Just moments before reaching dry land, the driver slows down and reverses briefly, providing just enough space for the thrashing croc to fight its way out and glide back into the deeper water. 'It was definitely a rare, bizarre moment,' Matteo, who is travelling to nearby remote communities to host dance workshops for his company Break'n Barrierz, said. 'In my opinion, [the driver] did the sensible thing — get to where it was safe to then be able to reverse a little bit.' If the person behind the wheel had stopped just a few moments earlier, the car could have been dragged into the river, he explained. 'There's not much else he could have done. I'm definitely not going to get out of the car and check what's under the car in croc-infested waters.' No serious injuries to croc after bizarre Cahills Crossing bogging Matteo said he didn't see if the driver got out of his car to ask others what had happened because he had to move his own vehicle to avoid holding up others waiting behind him. 'After a few more cars went past, it was clear of crocs,' he said, noting the movement appeared to have scared them away. Luckily, the croc didn't appear to be injured in the debacle. 'As we drove past, we could see the crocodile just chilling in the water right next to [the crossing],' Matteo told Yahoo, adding he witnessed the creature munching on fish. 'It was more just annoyed about being dragged a bit, but I don't think there was any serious damage.' 💰 Aussie fisherman's illegal act 'costs him $12,000 and his boat' 🎣 Alarming scene at popular Aussie tourist spot sparks warning 📸 Rare footage captures 'timid' predator in incredible scene off Aussie coast Viral crocodile video sparks warning from experts The video, which has racked up almost one million views across all of Matteo's social media accounts, serves as a good warning to locals and tourists who attempt to venture across Cahills, experts say. 'Crossing the river when the tide is moving like that is always risky, even with a high clearance 4WD,' Brandon Sideleau, a specialist in human and crocodile conflict, told Yahoo. 'People need to be aware that there are numerous crocodiles at [Cahills] crossing and they should drive with great care, both to avoid running over any of them and also to avoid getting pulled off the crossing by the current. 'Drivers should never attempt to cross in anything other than a high-clearance 4WD, unless it's at low tide and the crossing is dry. However, even then, if the driver is planning on crossing back over, they must account for the changing tides.' Sideleau said the crocodile in the clip appears to be a 'reasonably large' adult male. John Lever, owner of Koorana Crocodile Farm in Queensland, told Yahoo the animals are masters of disguise and only have to linger 'an inch or two under the water' to be invisible. 'Have a bit of patience and wait for the tide to drop down a bit so that you can see the crossing quite clearly and that there are no crocodiles on it,' he said. 'But the nature of their skin is so good they only have to be an inch or two under the water and you wouldn't see them.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
