I FOUGHT A CROC - and won!

It was fight or flight when a croc attacked Peta-Lynn's best mate - Peta-Lynn O'Brien, 53

- Claudia Siron

Growing up on my family's safari camp in South Africa, life was wild.

A true bush baby, I ran around barefoot and loved animals, just like my dad Rob and mum Wendy.

When I grow up, I want to work in wildlife too, I always thought.

After Dad's apprentice, Hilton, then 19, joined our safari company when I was seven, we became instant best mates. He was like my big brother, and I was his little shadow.

When I turned nine, our family moved to Australia to run a wildlife reserve.

'You'll be coming with us, of course,' Dad said to Hilton, who became his business partner.

After we arrived at Channel Point, in the Northern Territory, I went to boarding school in Darwin, but spent holidays at the large reserve.

There, we'd shuck oysters with a screwdriver and make friends with the wallabies and dingoes.

Within the first year, Hilton found love with our neighbour June-Ellen.

When I was 12, in April 1981, Hilton picked me up from school for the Easter weekend while my parents were away.

'I proposed to June-Ellen!' he grinned.

Back home, we planned to hunt a pig to cook for the engagement celebration.

Driving to our swamp in Hilton's open-air 4WD, we parked at the dock where our airboat sat in the muddy water. For an hour, we scoured the area for a pig.

Then, suddenly, our boat got stuck on a mud bank.

Hilton jumped off to push the boat out. But his hunting revolver dropped into the swamp. We waded through the water, searching for it.

Never threatened by crocs before, we didn't feel in danger. But then I heard a splash.

'Peta-Lynn!' screamed Hilton.