A relative of a young girl believed to have been killed by a crocodile in the Northern Territory has spoken out.
The girl was last seen swimming with family members on Tuesday in Mango Creek, near the remote Aboriginal community of Nganmarriyanga (also known as Palumpa), 350km southwest of Darwin. Her remains were partially found on Thursday.
“It’s been an extremely difficult, 36 hours in fact… For the family it’s the most devastating outcome they could imagine. They’re in a state of extreme shock and disbelief,” NT Police Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said.
Sgt Gibson told ABC Radio Darwin on Thursday morning that the girl was with her family when the incident occurred.
“The child disappeared and they alerted other family members, who were able to alert and contact the police,” she said.
“It’s just a very tragic event, not only for the family, but for all the police officers who helped them.”
A family member who was not present when the incident occurred has since posted a message on social media expressing her sadness.
“My condolences to my entire family… in Palumpa’s words, I cannot express the loss and pain we feel,” said Jade Walker.
NT police officers near the area where the girl disappeared. Her remains were found after a 36-hour search by land, air and water
‘Such a tragic [event] May the Lord bless you all in this sad time. God has another beautiful angel.
‘Thinking of you, my big brother and sister-in-law, mother and the rest of the families… I wish we were back home with my mother’s side of the family.’
Some people have since felt the need to take to social media to say that the girl should not have been in the water, as it is known to be the domain of crocodiles.
“It’s the Arctic where crocodiles are everywhere, swim at your own risk,” someone said.
“She says she is a child and her parents should have taught her how to be safe in the water. Secondly, her parents should not have let her swim in crocodile water.”
“Why swim when there are crocodiles?” asked another.
‘Didn’t they see the many signs around these areas? All you have to do is get out of your car and a local will warn you. So bad, where were the parents, she was only 12?’ said a third.
“That’s the risk you take when you go swimming in these kinds of areas,” said another.
Efforts are still underway to find and capture the crocodile responsible.
Saltwater crocodiles are territorial and the killer is likely to remain in nearby waterways.
The young girl was last seen swimming in Mango Creek, in the remote Northern Territory community of Nganmarriyanga, 360km southwest of Darwin (map shown here)
There are approximately 500,000 crocodiles in the NT, which is a huge increase in numbers over the past few decades, although the number of attacks has not increased
The crocodile population has exploded in Australia’s tropical north since they were recognised as a protected species under Australian law in the 1970s.
Saltwater crocodiles can live up to 70 years and grow up to six meters in length during their lifetime. The number of larger crocodiles is also increasing.
Crocodiles are considered a hazard in most waterways of the Northern Territory.