A 12-year-old girl is missing following a suspected crocodile attack while she was swimming in a creek in Australia.
“Northern Territory Police are currently searching for a missing child near the remote community of Palumpa,” Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, July 3.
“Around 5:30PM last night, police received reports of a missing 12-year-old child who was last seen swimming at Mango Creek,” the statement continued.
“Initial reports stated the child had been attacked by a crocodile. Community members and Peppimenarti Police attended the scene and began searching for the child, who has yet to be located.”
Palumpa, situated approximately 220 miles southwest of Darwin, has an estimated population of 400 residents.
Due to its remote location, officers from the nearby town of Wadeye are assisting in the search alongside a specialist rescue team, reported ABC News.
“Local officers are on scene and our thoughts are with the family and the community,” Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said in a statement to NBC News.
“Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek via boat, and we thank the community for their ongoing assistance.”
Northern Territory Police Minister Brent Potter informed reporters on Wednesday afternoon that the operation had entered the "recovery phase," as reported by the BBC.
"It's a tragic incident for any parent or family member to lose a young child, and especially in the circumstances like that, taken by a crocodile," he said.
The Northern Territory is home to more than 100,000 saltwater crocodiles, which have been protected from mass culls and hunting since 1971.
These crocodiles, the largest species in the world, can grow up to 20 feet in length, though fatal attacks on humans are relatively uncommon.
In a separate incident last month, a saltwater crocodile that had reportedly lunged at humans and snatched pets in another part of the territory was captured, killed, and made into a feast for local residents, per NBC News.
Given the threat to human safety, Northern Territory officials have increased the number of crocodiles allowed to be removed annually from 300 to 1,200, as outlined in a 10-year management plan released this year.
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