Disappeared while bathing - Crocodile probably kills child in Australia - desperate search
In Australia, search teams continue the effort to find a twelve-year-old child who went missing during swimming at Mango Creek in the Northern Territory on Tuesday. The child disappeared in the remote Australian bush where the family was on holiday, reported Australian media, quoting Police Commissioner Erica Gibson. The authorities now believe there is no hope of finding the child alive.
"We can certainly say that we are in the recovery phase," said Police Minister Brent Potter. The gender of the child was not disclosed. The incident occurred near the Aboriginal community of Nganmarriyanga, about 350 kilometers southwest of Darwin.
Family on Holiday
New details have emerged: The child was on vacation with the family in the remote area of the Australian bush, according to the Australian ABC. Several family members were in the water when the child suddenly vanished. They reportedly saw a crocodile in the vicinity immediately after the disappearance.
Potter described the incident as a "tragic occurrence" and emphasized that it was devastating for a family to lose a child under such circumstances. The search teams have been tasked with locating and removing the crocodile from the water to recover the child: "These officers are trained divers and go into crocodile-infested waters when necessary."
Local helpers and officers were using boats and a helicopter to search a large section of Mango Creek. Commissioner Gibson said, "We will continue to search, and we will not give up. Our thoughts are with the family and the community." The waterway is partly deep and dark, and the surrounding area is very rugged. "It's just a really sad, tragic event, everyone is shocked," Gibson emphasized.
Two fatal attacks per year
Both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles inhabit the region. Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to six meters long, are considered much more dangerous and extremely aggressive. Freshwater crocodiles, up to three meters long, known as "Freshies," attack humans only when they feel threatened. However, these attacks are usually not fatal.
The Northern Territory government reports over 100,000 crocodiles. On average, there are two fatal crocodile attacks in all of Australia per year. In June, members of an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory shot and communally consumed a problematic crocodile that had previously approached animals and people.
Government of Northern Territory on Crocodiles
The operational force has been deployed to locate and remove any potential dangerous crocodiles in the area, as a crocodile was reported near where the child went missing. The authorities in the Northern Territory urge caution during emergencies, given the high number of crocodiles in the region, with over 100,000 recorded. This incident serves as a reminder of the two fatal crocodile attacks that occur annually in Australia.
