Australian woman narrowly escapes after crocodile attack

 A woman has been attacked by a crocodile while swimming in a lagoon in the Northern Territory.

The 23-year-old received puncture wounds in her right leg after the two-metre saltwater crocodile attacked on Sunday about 3pm local time.

"At that size, it's probably a female crocodile," a police spokeswoman told AAP.

"The woman was very lucky it wasn't a male."

The woman was swimming in a lagoon at Vanderlin Island - about 800 kilometres southeast of Darwin - in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

She was taken to the Borroloola health clinic and treated for lacerations and punctures to her lower right leg.

The woman has since been discharged from the health centre.