A BRIT backpacker who was savaged by a crocodile was saved by a brave pal who "furiously" punched the beast as it dragged her into a death roll.
The 18-year-old woman was rafting on a river near the famous Victoria Falls in Zambia while enjoying her gap year when she was horrifically attacked.
The teen was swimming with a friend when the 10ft long beast clamped its mighty jaws onto her leg and yanked her into a terrifying death roll.
She was moments away from death when her heroic pal managed to punch the reptile hard enough to make it release her from its deadly grip.
A source told The Sun: "They had taken a break from rafting and she was swimming with a friend when it happened.
"As soon as it happened he dived under the water and started punching the crocodile furiously.
"Then others jumped in to help. It was chaos. There was blood and people thrashing everywhere. She is lucky to be alive."
The dizzying movement is the crocodile's favoured method of subduing its prey – it latches onto its victim and spins uncontrollably until its target is defeated.
Hero guides and fellow rafters also leapt into the river in a bid to save the Brit from the crocs deadly ballet.
She was airlifted to hospital in the capital Lusaka for life-saving surgery – and to try and save her shredded leg.
The source continued: "Eventually the croc gave up and they pulled her back into the boat.
"She was in quite a bad way. They patched her up as best they could and arranged an emergency med-evac."
The privately educated victim was rafting with guides from a local company based in nearby Livingstone.
They were on a break between rapids in the gorge below the iconic Victoria Falls, when the teenager went for a swim with a friend to cool off.
A family friend told The Sun: “The guides had said it was fine. It is really quite rare to get crocs where they were. The big ones are normally above the falls.
“So it was really unlucky to get munched and she was very lucky to get rescued.”
It was chaos. There was blood and people thrashing everywhere. She is lucky to be alive.
The mighty Zambezi River, sprawling more than 1,500 miles, is a haven for tourists who enjoy watersports and want to experience the glorious views.
But they are often blissfully unaware of what lurks below, as prowling in the murky depths of the water – including the river's most deadly predator, the Nile crocodile.
The notorious croc has a reputation for preying on humans and is one of the most dangerous species of crocodile about, responsible for hundreds of human deaths every year.
Several tourists have been known to lose limbs while others have perished after being attacked by the vicious beasts in the croc-infested waters of the Zambezi River.
In one chilling case, Brit tourists watched on in terror as a crocodile scoffed the remains of a man during a sunset cruise.
The group's guide initially thought the beast was feasting on another animal – but as the boat drifted closer, the true grisly nature of the scene was revealed.
Despite gruesome stories emerging from the rivers, tourists appear undeterred and continue to use the waters for an adrenaline kick.
DEADLY WATERS
Three years ago, a bride-to-be in the same area lost her arm when an enormous 16ft crocodile attacked her just five days before her wedding.
Incredibly, Zanele Ndlovu came out of surgery and went ahead with her wedding to Brit Jamie Fox.
Horror stories have continued to emerge of incidents along the Zambezi River, with locals who rely on the river as a water source also falling victim to crocs.
Just this year, an 11-year-old boy was savaged to death as he bathed by the banks of the river in Namibia.
The youngster was snapped up by the predator in front of his horrified mother.
In another harrowing case, a young Zambian girl was attacked as she knelt at the river's shore to get water for her family.
Concealed by the gloomy water, the crocodile lunged out at the 13-year-old and dragged her under the water – almost ripping off her arm.
Miraculously, she escaped with her life and doctors were able to stitch up her arm – but her recovery took months on end and kept her out of school.
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