Fears for Australian child missing after crocodile attack

In northern Australia, a desperate search is underway for a child who was presumably kidnapped by a crocodile.

The 12-year-old was last seen swimming near the remote town of Palumpa on Tuesday evening – about 7 hours’ drive southwest of Darwin in the Northern Territory (NT).

According to police, a specialized search and rescue team was dispatched after “initial reports suggested that the child had been attacked by a crocodile.”

There are an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory, more than anywhere else in the world. However, attacks are rare.

Community members in Palumpa – home to just 364 people – and local police immediately began searching for the child after she went missing in Mango Creek at around 5:30 p.m. local time (08:00 GMT).

They have now been joined by other officers and the experienced search and rescue team, who are searching both land and water.

According to local media, an aerial search operation could also be launched.

“Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek using boats and we thank the community for their continued support,” Sergeant Erica Gibson said in a statement.

“Local officials are on site and our thoughts are with the family and community.”

Saltwater crocodiles are found throughout the northern regions of Australia, from Broome in Western Australia to Gladstone in Queensland. They were hunted almost to extinction, but since the practice was banned in the 1970s, their numbers have recovered.

However, there have been a number of fatal attacks in Queensland in recent years. In April, a 16-year-old boy was killed in the Torres Strait.