BRISBANE: A teen who was attacked by a crocodile after jumping into a crocodile-infested river on a dare is recovering from serious wounds to his arm.

Eighteen-year-old Lee de Paauw was at a hostel in the northern Queensland town of Innisfail around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday when he started bragging that he could swim in the river, a known habitat for aggressive saltwater crocodiles.

Sophie Paterson, a British backpacker who was at the hostel, says others egged him on, though none of them thought he would actually do it.

Seconds after jumping into the water, a crocodile latched onto him.

Queensland paramedic Neil Noble said the teen was lucky to escape before the crocodile drowned him. -AP