Darwin kitesurfer battles with croc who attacked him five times

A kite surfer was attacked by a crocodile on a Darwin beach five times as he tried to fend off the two-and-a-half metre beast with his board

Chris Keeping said he was just grateful to be alive and able to tell his ordeal on the sand at Lee Point on Saturday just before midday.

"It all happened so fast and it was like being hit by a truck," he told 9NEWS. 

The keen kite surfer had been in the water for just minutes when the large crocodile attacked - it's jaws crushing his shoulder and back.

"I only saw him for a split second and then the water exploded," Mr Keeping said.

"I knew he was a croc, I knew straight away what was happening.

"I'm sitting there in the middle of the water, I can't stand, there's no one around - I am so gone, I am so dead." 

In complete shock, his whole body became numb.

"When I turned and looked up to the right hand side I could see teeth and just how big he was," Mr Keeping said.

"I was so scared I just went limp, I couldn't do nothing." 

Trapped in the crocodile's powerful grip for around two minutes, Mr Keeping finally gained enough strength to reach up and poke it in the eye.

"I thought I can't open your mouth, I'm just going to stick my finger in your eye and see how it goes," he said.

It released him momentarily, but came back for round two as he attempted to swim back to shore.

As soon as he came back around I just threw the board onto his face trying to hit him as hard as I could," Mr Keeping said.

"I threw my board back on him and started backpedalling toward the beach."

The croc attempted to attack him another four times.

"I'm so lucky i got away with no broken bone, I'm so lucky he didn't get my head – I wouldn't be here talking to you today," Mr Keeping said.

In disbelief he made it back to the shore, Mr Keeping's first reaction was to warn other people, yelling at another kite surfer to get out of the water.

He was rushed to hospital by his sister, with blood dripping through his stinger suit.

He sustained puncture marks to his armpit and ribcage and was discharged yesterday afternoon.

A Darwin local, Mr Keeping said crocs come with the territory, and he plans to get back to water sports as soon as he has recovered.

"I love kite surfing, I couldn't imagine doing anything else in the Territory," he said.