Australian authorities were Saturday searching waterways in a remote part of the country’s Northern Territory for any sign of a seven-year-old girl feared taken by a crocodile, police said.
The girl was reported to have been taken by one of the large reptiles while swimming with her family on Friday afternoon at an outstation about 340 kilometres (210 miles) east of the city of Darwin.
A search by police and volunteers on Friday failed to find the child and extra police and wildlife rangers had been flown to the remote area.
“There was a search commenced at first light this morning,” a spokeswoman for Northern Territory Police told AFP.
Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to seven metres (23 feet) long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of Australia’s tropical north.
They have been protected since the 1970s and their numbers have increased steadily since, along with the number of human encounters.
Fears girl, 7, taken by crocodile in Australia
