A Sri Lankan pensioner claims he was saved from the tsunami by a crocodile which nudged him back to shore.

Upali Gunasekera says the estuarine crocodile was one which regularly visited the garden of his house in Matara.

Mr Gunasekera was strolling in the garden, which overlooks a river and the sea, when the tsunami struck and was washed away.

He clutched a floating stool with one hand and a chair with the other and managed to stay afloat until a wave knocked them from his grip.

That was when he saw what he thought was a log moving towards him and clung on to it for dear life.

However he soon realised he was holding on to the crocodile, reports the Daily News.

He began to despair after seven hours in the water but felt the crocodile nudge his belly and push him to the river bank.