Australian police find remains of missing child after suspected crocodile attack

Do you really support
independent journalism

Find out moreClose

Our mission is to provide unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds the powerful to account and exposes the truth.

Whether it’s $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us in practicing journalism without an agenda.

Australian police have found what they believe are the remains of a 12-year-old child who went missing after a suspected crocodile attack.

The child disappeared on Tuesday afternoon after going swimming near the remote community of Palumpa in the Northern Territory, about 350 kilometers from Darwin, police said.

“This is devastating news for the family, the community and everyone involved in the search,” Police Sergeant Erica Gibson said Thursday.

She said the recovery of the remains was “particularly cruel and had a sad, devastating outcome.”

“The police are supporting the family and the community along with the first responders who were on the scene.”

Ms Gibson said police were working to capture the crocodile believed to be responsible for the child’s death.

“The investigation is ongoing, this is a long and drawn out matter,” she said. “The search will continue in relation to the crocodile traps and monitoring of activity in the waterways.”

The victim belonged to the remote Aboriginal community of Nganmarriyanga, also known as Palumpa. The family was visiting the creek for a holiday, police told ABC Radio.

Police said they discovered the child’s T-shirt upstream on Wednesday and their search has now entered the recovery phase.

Ms Gibson said the remains showed injuries consistent with a crocodile attack.

“It has been an extremely difficult 36 hours for the first responders involved in the search,” she said.

Members of the Palumpa community joined the search led by Northern Territory Police.

There are about 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory, which are larger and more dangerous to humans.

The territory has a population of 252,469, but according to federal data, only about 364 people live in Palumpa.

Last month, a crocodile that terrorised people in the Northern Territory was killed and eaten by villagers. The reptile was accused of eating pets and preying on children, and local authorities considered it a “significant danger to the community”.

Police said they shot the crocodile after consulting with Aboriginal people, elders, community members and Parks and Wildlife officials.

In January, a nine-year-old boy fought for his life after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming in the area.

Last year, an Australian man dramatically escaped being attacked by a saltwater crocodile by ripping its jaws from his head. Marcus McGowan, 51, from Brisbane, was snorkelling at a luxury private island resort on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef when he was attacked.