Australian police have launched a search for a missing 12-year-old after reports the child was attacked and taken by a crocodile while swimming.
ABC News reported that the incident took place on Tuesday evening at about 5:30 p.m. local time in the remote community of Palumpa—about a seven-hour drive southwest of Darwin in the Northern Territory.
“Initial reports stated the child had been attacked by a crocodile,” NT Police said in a statement on Wednesday morning.
Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said the child and their family were swimming at Mango Creek, just under two miles from Palumpa
“It is just a really sad, tragic event… it is confronting for everyone,” she said.
The Northern Territory is home to the world’s largest number of wild crocodiles, with a population of more than 100,000, according to the Northern Territory tourism website.
However, attacks on humans are rare.
In May 2023, the remains of pub owner Kevin Darmody, 65, were found inside a pair of crocodiles in Lakefield National Park in the Australian state of Queensland. It is believed the fisherman was snatched by the crocodiles when he went into the saltwater river to retrieve a lure.
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