A father of a family disappears while fishing on a river in Australia. While the search for the missing man is ongoing, everything points to an attack by a reptile.
A major search operation is underway in Australia following a suspected crocodile attack on a 40-year-old man. According to local media reports, the missing man was attacked by the reptile while fishing.
Rescue workers have been working in the north of the tropical state of Queensland since Saturday to search for the father of the family, police said. “Initial investigations revealed that the man had been fishing on the river bank when he fell into the water and did not resurface,” police said in a statement.
Man’s family is “traumatized” after disappearance
According to reports, the man was walking with his wife and children along the banks of the Annan River, which is popular with anglers. The family from the neighboring state of New South Wales was passing through in a caravan. “My condolences go out to the family, who are obviously traumatized at the moment,” 7News quoted investigator Greg Finucane as saying.
A large crocodile was spotted in the area. Australian media fear that the man is dead. Authorities are also using drones in the search, they said. The aim is also to catch the animal.
On average, two Australians die each year from crocodiles
Just last July, a crocodile attacked a twelve-year-old girl in Australia. Rangers later killed a 4.2-meter-long reptile in the Northern Territory. The child was swimming near the Aboriginal community of Nganmarriyanga before it disappeared. Emergency services later discovered the girl’s remains. On average, there are two fatal crocodile attacks per year in Australia.
