A crocodile attack in Queensland’s Daintree National Park is feared to have claimed the life of a female tourist.
Police say the 46-year-old was swimming with a friend in waist-deep water at Thornton Beach when she was taken. The incident occurred at about 10.30pm yesterday.
“They had been walking along the beach and they’ve decided to go for a swim just in waist-deep water at Thornton Beach and probably a very nice, clear night, but obviously may not have been aware of the dangers,” Senior Constable Russell Parker told the ABC. “We believe they were visiting the area and weren’t local to it.”
There have been reports of a five-metre crocodile in the area.
The woman’s 47-year-old friend tried desperately to grab her and drag her to safety but was unable to do so. She ran to a nearby business to raise the alarm.
A rescue helicopter using thermal imaging equipment failed to locate the missing woman last night, and a large-scale search is under way this morning.
The ABC reports that the victim’s friend is being treated for grazes and shock at the Mossman Hospital.
The last fatal crocodile attack in the area was in 2009, when a five-year-old was taken from a swamp.
