In a snap decision that almost certainly saved his life, a 23-year-old man has narrowly escaped serious injury during a crocodile attack by clinging onto the local vegetation.

NT Police Watch Commander Siiri Tennosaar said the man was fishing amid in Arnhem Land when he was grabbed by the crocodile about 5:00pm.

Commander Tennosaar said the man was hunting in waist-deep water on the Glyde River near an outstation south-east of Ramingining when the crocodile attacked him.

“He was grabbed from behind by a 1.8 metre [crocodile] and the man held onto some mangroves and the crocodile for some reason released him and swam away,” she said.

“So other than suffering some pretty deep lacerations to his upper thigh, he managed to get away with no life-threatening injuries.”

He was treated at the local health clinic before being taken to Royal Darwin Hospital.

“He should go straight to get a lotto ticket,” Commander Tennosaar said.