Monday, June 09, 2008

Stranded scuba divers chase off Komodo dragon


BALI, Indonesia (AP) — Elena Neralairen threw rocks at an aggressive Komodo dragon and scavenged for mussels on a remote Indonesian island where she and fellow divers were stranded for days after being swept away in treacherous currents.

The group — three from Britain and one each from France and Sweden — drifted 20 miles in sharp-infested waters before landing after nightfall on Rinca's palm-fringed beach, their last chance to avoid being swept into the open ocean.

But the next morning, it became clear their ordeal was not yet over. They came face-to-face with a deadly Komodo dragon, which can weigh as much as 365 pounds, and scared the beast away by screaming and pelting it with rocks and sticks.

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