Police find remains of girl who was snatched by crocodile while swimming in northern Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia – Police found the remains of a 12-year-old girl on Thursday, two days after she was snatched by a crocodile while swimming in a stream in remote northern Australia.

The remains were found in the river system near where the girl disappeared, in the indigenous community of Palumpa, southwest of the Northern Territory capital of Darwin, police Sergeant Erica Gibson said.

Injuries indicated a crocodile attack, Gibson said.

“The recovery was done. The result was particularly cruel and sad and devastating,” Gibson told reporters.

Efforts to capture the killer crocodile are ongoing, she said. Saltwater crocodiles are territorial and the killer is likely in nearby waters.

The girl’s disappearance triggered a 36-hour intensive search operation on land, water and in the air.

The crocodile population has exploded in the tropical north of the country since they were declared protected under Australian law in the 1970s. Because saltwater crocodiles live up to 70 years and grow throughout their lives – they can reach lengths of up to 7 metres – the proportion of large crocodiles is also increasing.

Crocodiles are considered a threat in most waterways in the Northern Territory.