Girl, 12, snatched in horror croc attack while swimming in creek as police launch hunt for beast

A MISSING child who went swimming in croc infested waters is feared to have been taken by the prehistoric predator.

The 12-year-old girl was last seen swimming in a waterway near a remote town in Australia.

The missing girl was last seen swimming in a croc invested waterway. The operation is now a recovery mission.

Local authorities say a specialist search and rescue team has been deployed to Nganmarriyanga in the Northern Territory after initial reports stated the girl had been attacked by a croc.

Community members and local police began searching for the child immediately after they vanished in Mango Creek .

They have now been joined by additional officers and the expert search and rescue team who are combing over both land and water.

NT Police Minister Brent Potter on Wednesday afternoon said the operation had entered the “recovery phase”.

He said: “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.

Mr Potter added the team was also authorised to ‘remove the crocodile from the area’ to safely continue the search.

The NT is home to an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles.

Saltwater crocodiles are larger and more dangerous and aggressive to humans and can grow up to 6 metres in length. Freshwater crocodiles can reach up to 3 metres in length and have been known to attack people.

According to the Northern Territory’s tourism website, crocodiles have a taste for fish but will “eat just about anything”.

A warning on the website reads: “Don’t attempt to feed any wild crocodiles during your stay, and don’t swim in any waterway or camp, fish or walk in any area where crocodile hazard signs are posted.

“The best way to avoid getting hurt is to avoid crocodiles in the wild altogether.”

Northern Territory  Police Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson thanked the community for their ongoing assistance.

She said: “Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek via boat and we thank the community for their ongoing assistance.”

Nganmarriyanga, formerly known as Palumpa, is a remote Aboriginal community in the Daly River region of the Northern Territory. 

It is situated about 360km south-west of Darwin between the communities of Peppimenarti and Wadeye. 

The unfortunate incident is not the first time a crocodile has attacked a human.

A female keeper was mauled by a 16ft crocodile at a reptile park tourist attraction in Australia in 2023.

The 34-year-old woman was taken to the hospital, reportedly “losing a lot of blood,” after she was attacked by saltwater croc Leo while working at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, NT.

A tourist said he overheard staff discussing the attack and “apparently there was a lot of blood”.

The former staff member said it was the first time the massive croc had attacked an employee.

Meanwhile a camper in Queensland, Australia was dragged from his tent by a monstrous 14-ft crocodile.