A New Zealand kayaker prayed for his life as he was kept hostage on a remote Australian island by a giant crocodile he believed would devour him at any moment.
Ryan Blair had an amazing escape after becoming trapped on a remote island off the coast of Western Australia for more than two weeks by the massive crocodile that wouldn't let him leave.
The 37-year-old had been exploring the northern WA coast near Kalumburu, which is between Derby and Kununurra.
Having been left on the remote Governor Island, the Kiwi realised he didn't have enough supplies and tried to paddle the 4km back to the mainland.
But he immediately caught the eye of the six-metre saltwater crocodile that's lived in the area for years.
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Every time he tried to leave, the crocodile would make his presence felt, leaving the adventurer fearing for his life and stranded for more than a fortnight.
"He was about four metres away from me and I thought `this is it,'" Mr Blair said.
"It was so close, and if this croc wanted to take me it would not have been an issue.
"I was scared for my life - I was hard core praying for God to save me."
On Saturday, local Don MacLeod spotted a light on the island, and when he checked it out, the hatless, shirtless and desperate visitor approached.
"He was relieved and shocked, and thankful someone had come along because he was running out of options pretty quickly," Mr MacLeod told ABC radio.
"He is a very, very lucky man."
Ryan's passage to WA was not easy in itself.
He travelled from Queensland to the Kimberley on a yacht whose owner was then jailed in the Northern Territory, leaving Mr Blair stranded for two months.
After hitching a lift with a solo yachtsman from the Territory to WA, he was dropped on Governor Island with 160 litres of water, some flour and dry stores.
But after realising he was unprepared for the Kimberley wilderness, three attempts to reach the mainland was thwarted by the massive crocodile.
Mr MacLeod said the story was incredible.
"He said every time he got in his little kayak, which was only 2.5m long, this crocodile - who has lived there for many years and is a monster - has chased him," Mr MacLeod said.
"He was desperate for water when I trotted up.
"We gave him a cold beer, which was probably the wrong thing, and then he went to sleep about three-quarters of the way home."
Mr Blair flew out of Kalumburu to Kununurra on Monday, and said he had seen enough of Australia's outback.
"For the moment I can have a bit of a break from the adventuring days," Mr Blair said.
