Pensioner fights off crocodile with spanner and spark plugs for three hours after friend drowned

Robert Haughton battled the animals for three hours before being rescued

Noel Ramage had just been cleared of throat cancer (Facebook)

A pensioner fisherman has escaped death after fending off a group of saltwater crocodiles with a spanner and spark plugs while trapped waist deep in mud in a three-hour battle.

Robert Haughton and his friend, Noel Ramage, were retrieving their crabbing pots in Darwin when a crocodile capsized their small aluminium boat.

Both men were thrown from the 3.5 metre-long boat into the water. Mr Ramage was trapped underneath and drowned while Mr Haughton managed to climb onto the upturned boat.

He then fought off an increasing number of crocodiles who came as close as 40cm by using spanners and spark plug for three hours.

Mr Haughton was rescued by other crabbers after becoming stuck in waist-deep in mud in the mangroves.

He was taken by CareFlight to Darwin hospital suffering from severe shock, dehydration and exposure.

CareFlight director, Ian Badham, said the survivor had tried to push the boat into relative safety of the mangroves and shouted for help.

Mr Ramage has recently been given the all-clear from bouts of throat cancer and bowel cancer.

His son David said: ”It’s not nice that he’s passed on, but I’d rather he’s gone doing what he loved doing and not from cancer in the hospital.”

His body was retrieved by rescuers and taken back to shore.

Darwin is thought to have the most saltwater crocodiles in the world. Veteran wildlife ranger, Tom Nichols, said there should be warnings about using certain sized boats on rives known to have large numbers of crocodiles.

Darwin is home to both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, with the former growing up to 4.5 meters in length and weighing 500kg.

In 2015 a coroner’s inquest found Bill Scott’s death at Kakadu National Park in the Northern teritory found a crocodile had destabilised the boat, forcing Mr Scott to stumble where he was attacked and dragged overboard.