Missing Australian Found Inside a 4.1 Meter Crocodile

The body of an Australian man who went missing while fishing with pals has been discovered inside a crocodile. Kevin Darmody, 65, was last seen on Saturday at Kennedy’s Bend, a well-known saltwater crocodile habitat in a rural area of northern Queensland.

Mr. Darmody’s “tragic ending” was described by police, after a two-day search, authorities euthanized two large crocodiles and discovered his body parts inside the crocodile. Mr. Darmody was a well-known member of the Cape York community and an excellent fisherman.

The two crocodiles were shot dead on Monday approximately 1.5 km from where he was last seen. Although only one of the reptiles that measured a colossal 4.1 meters in length contained human remains, wildlife officers believe both were involved in the incident.

The fisherman who were with Mr Darmody at the time did not witness the attack but did hear him yell, followed by a big splash.

“I dashed down… “But there was no trace of him, only his thongs [flip-flops] on the bank and nothing else,” his buddy John Peiti told the Cape York Weekly.

13th fatal attack on an Australian

Crocodiles are plentiful in Australia’s tropical north, but attacks are uncommon. Mr Darmody’s death is Queensland’s 13th fatal attack since records began in 1985.

In 2021, a fisherman was murdered by a crocodile in Queensland’s Hinchinbrook Island, and there were also fatal attacks in the state’s far north in 2017 and 2016.

Queensland’s crocodile population has increased from 5,000 animals in 1974 to about 30,000 now, thanks to a hunting prohibition. According to a 2019 report, each kilometer of river assessed contained an average of 1.7 adult crocs.

“Problem crocodiles” are evacuated from regions where they endanger public safety and, in rare cases, euthanized under Queensland’s management programme.

These figures are dwarfed by the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, which has the world’s greatest wild crocodile population of 100,000 reptiles.

Despite public awareness efforts encouraging people to be “crocwise” around waterways, there have been 1-2 deaths from crocodile attacks in the Territory each year since 2005, however none have happened since 2018.

Crocodile Attacks in Australia

Crocodile attacks are an uncommon but deadly occurrence in Australia. Australia is home to two crocodile species: the saltwater crocodile, often known as the estuary crocodile, which is the world’s largest living reptile, and the smaller freshwater crocodile.

There have been a handful of high-profile crocodile attacks in Australia in recent years. These attacks are most common in the country’s northern regions, where both species of crocodile can be found in the wild. Many of the attacks happen while people are swimming or wading in crocodile-infested waters, while some have happened on boats or on land.

To help avoid crocodile attacks, the Australian government has undertaken a number of measures, including warning signs, public education campaigns, and crocodile control programmes. These programmes entail the removal of crocodiles from densely populated regions, the monitoring of crocodile populations, and the education of the public about the dangers of swimming or wading in crocodile habitats.

Despite these efforts, crocodile attacks in Australia continue to occur. People must be aware of the dangers and take proper precautions when visiting crocodile-infested areas. Avoiding swimming or wading in certain regions, sticking in designated safe zones, and according to local safety norms and regulations are all examples of measures.