The victim, aged in his forties, was swimming in a gorge at Lawn Hill National Park in remote North West Queensland, when a crocodile latched onto his arm.

The man later told rescuers that he put up a fight, wrestling with the croc until its jaws opened and released him.

As well as injuries to his arm, he suffered puncture wounds to both hands and his leg, during the ordeal.

The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue crew was tasked to the remote location, just after 2pm.

The man was on a motorbiking tour with a group.

After the attack, tour members called triple zero then drove the injured tourist to a nearby airstrip, to meet the rescue chopper.

"He was in a lot of pain and the puncture wounds from the croc's teeth were very deep," said RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Aircrew Officer Greig Allan.

"The patient told us the fresh water crocodile would have been between two and three metres long, so he's lucky to have escaped with his life."

The patient was flown to Mount Isa Hospital in a stable condition.

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