A shirt belonging to a 12-year-old girl has been found, believed to have been stolen by a crocodile.
The girl was last seen swimming in Mango Creek, in the remote Northern Territory community of Nganmarriyanga, 360km southwest of Darwin. She was reported missing at 5.30pm on Tuesday.
Northern Territory Police and members of NT Parks and Wildlife continued the search on Thursday.
Her shirt was found upstream from where she disappeared.
Police Minister Brent Potter confirmed on Wednesday that the search has moved into the recovery phase.
Mr Potter added that the team also had permission to ‘remove the crocodile from the area’ so that the search could continue safely.
“They do a fantastic job, those officers are also divers and they go into crocodile infested waters if necessary,” Mr Potter said. News from the Northern Territory.
“We can safely say that we are in the recovery phase.”
Police have launched an urgent search on land and in the water for the child. (Pictured: Police at the Moyle River crossing)
Nganmarriyanga, formerly known as Palumpa, is a remote Aboriginal community in the Daly River region of the Northern Territory.
It is located between the communities of Peppimenarti and Wadeye.
On Wednesday afternoon, Northern Police Chief Constable Erica Gibson said the child and her family were swimming in the creek, which is just over a kilometre from Nganmarriyanga.
Most of the access to the area is via unpaved roads.
Sgt Gibson said the search involved the use of boats, a police boat and a helicopter, with support from police officers from Peppimenarti, Daly River and Wadeye.
The child was last seen swimming in a creek in the remote Northern Territory community of Nganmarriyanga, about 360km southwest of Darwin. Map shown
Police have launched an urgent search on land and in the water after a 12-year-old child was reportedly attacked by a crocodile
She said the missing girl’s family and friends were “extremely distraught.”
“There are a number of community members present who come from remote areas and communities around Palumpa,” she said.
“They are all on the scene to support the immediate family involved in this incredibly tragic incident.”
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