Australian police announced on Thursday that they had located human remains believed to belong to a missing 12-year-old child who was reportedly attacked by a crocodile in the northern part of the country.
The child was reported missing on Tuesday evening after swimming in a creek near Palumpa, a remote town with a population of about 350 people located seven hours by road from Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.
“This is heartbreaking news for the family, the community, and everyone involved in the search effort,” stated Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson of the Northern Territory police.
The Northern Territory is home to over 100,000 crocodiles, with a land area more than six times that of Britain, though fatal attacks are relatively uncommon. These crocodiles can reach lengths of up to 6 meters (20 feet).
According to police speaking to ABC Radio, the child and their family were visiting the creek for a holiday when a black crocodile was reportedly sighted in the vicinity.