Australian authorities discovered the body of a 12-year-old girl on Thursday who was reportedly carried off by a crocodile while swimming in a stream.
“It was essentially 36 hours of extremely difficult work for the first responders who searched,” Police Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson told reporters.
The child’s disappearance sparked a nearly two-day search on land, air and water.
The body was found in the Indigenous community of Palumpa, southwest of the Northern Territory capital of Darwin, near the river where the girl went missing.
Sergeant Gibson confirmed the girl’s injuries were the result of a crocodile attack and said: “She has recovered from her injuries. It was a very gruesome, tragic and devastating outcome.”
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A girl was carried off by a crocodile while swimming in a river in Palumpa, Australia, on Tuesday, police said. (Associated Press)
“But for the family, this is the most devastating outcome possible. They are in extreme shock and disbelief,” Mr Gibson added.
Saltwater crocodiles are known to be highly territorial, and the killer reptiles may still be in nearby waterways, and are generally known to be dangerous in the Northern Territory, according to the Associated Press.
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Northern Australia has a tropical climate and saltwater crocodile populations have boomed since the 1970s when populations were protected under Australian law.
A girl was carried off by a crocodile while swimming in a river in Palumpa, Australia, on Tuesday, police said. (Associated Press)
Northern Australia has a growing population of large crocodiles, with some reptiles reaching lengths of 23 feet. Crocodiles grow throughout their lives and can live up to 70 years.
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Sergeant Gibson told reporters the search for the killer crocodile was still ongoing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
