(Sydney) Australian police said Thursday they have found remains believed to be those of a 12-year-old girl “attacked by a crocodile” while swimming near a remote community in northern Australia.
After searching the site, police said they found remains they “believe to be those of a missing 12-year-old girl.”
“This is devastating news for the family, the community and everyone involved in the search,” added Major Erica Gibson of the Northern Territory Police.
The teenager disappeared Tuesday evening after swimming in Mango Creek, near Palumpa, a small Aboriginal town located about seven hours drive southwest of Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.
“Initial reports indicated the child had been attacked by a crocodile,” a statement from Northern Territory Police said.
Crocodile attacks are rare but not unheard of in this rural northern Australian state.
A 4.5-metre crocodile was shot dead after stalking residents near Palumpa in 2013. In 2017, a 54-year-old man was also the victim of a non-fatal attack in the same area.
In mid-June, a 12-foot-long saltwater crocodile that terrorized an Aboriginal community in northern Australia by attacking residents and eating dogs was itself eaten at a traditional feast after being shot dead by police.