- Human remains in crocodile fisherman identified
A few days after the disappearance of a 40-year-old angler in northeastern Australia, human remains were found in a crocodile killed in the area. The man, who had been missing since Saturday, was identified as the victim, according to the Australian news agency AAP.
Wife: "He saved me"
Dramatic scenes must have unfolded on the banks of the Annan River near the town of Cooktown in tropical Queensland, as the man's widow told media conglomerate News Corp, according to AAP. The couple and their three sons were walking along the river during a camping trip when the bank suddenly gave way, causing the man to fall into the water with the collapsing ground. She tried to pull him out but only grabbed his arm and then fell into the water herself. "He saved me," she said. "His last act was to not pull me in with him."
It was not clear from her account when the crocodile attacked the man.
Initial police investigations had revealed that the doctor from New South Wales was fishing by the river when he fell into the water and did not resurface. According to the woman, the family was walking on a path. "I don't regret it because it's one of those random accidents that happen and couldn't have been prevented," she said. She wanted to give a face to the tragedy so people could know about her "loving, caring, and extremely loyal" husband.
Two fatal crocodile attacks per year
Rangers had previously killed a crocodile spotted about four kilometers from the incident site by a helicopter, the wildlife authority announced on Monday. It was identified by a distinctive white scar on its snout. The nearly five-meter-long, presumably several decades-old reptile's carcass was handed over to the police. Investigations to identify the man were ongoing, and the search for him was currently suspended.
On average, there are two fatal crocodile attacks in Australia each year. In July, a 12-year-old girl was killed in a crocodile attack in the country. Rangers later killed a 4.2-meter-long reptile in the Northern Territory. The girl was swimming near an Aboriginal community before she disappeared. Later, remains of the girl were discovered.
In light of the ongoing investigations, authorities expressed concerns about the increased frequency of crocodile encounters in the area, with other tourists urged to exercise extreme caution while visiting. Despite these warnings, some tourists chose to ignore the advice, viewing the dangerous animals as a mere attraction rather than a deadly threat.
