Australian police find remains of missing child after suspected crocodile attack

Australian police have found what appear to be the remains of a 12-year-old boy who went missing after a suspected crocodile attack.

The child went missing on Tuesday afternoon after going swimming near the remote community of Palumpa in the Northern Territory, about 350km from Darwin, police said.

“This is devastating news for the family, the community and everyone involved in the search,” Police Chief Sergeant Erica Gibson said Thursday.

She said the recovery of the remains had been “particularly horrific and a sad and devastating outcome”.

“The police are supporting the family and the community, as well as the first responders who attended the scene.”

Ms Gibson said police were working to trap the crocodile suspected of being responsible for the child's death.

“The investigations will continue, it's a long-term job,” she said. “The search operations will continue, including crocodile traps and monitoring of activity in the waterways.”

The victim was from the remote Aboriginal community of Nganmarriyanga, also known as Palumpa. The family had come to holiday near the creek, police told ABC Radio.

Police said they discovered the child's T-shirt earlier Wednesday and that their search had moved to the recovery stage.

Ms Gibson said the remains showed injuries consistent with a crocodile attack.

“It was an extremely difficult 36 hours for the first responders involved in the search,” she said.

Members of the Palumpa community have joined the search by Northern Territory Police.

The Northern Territory is home to about 100,000 saltwater crocodiles, which are larger and more dangerous to humans.

The territory has a population of 252,469, but only about 364 people live in Palumpa, according to federal data.

Last month, a crocodile that had been terrorising people in the Northern Territory was killed and eaten by villagers. The reptile was accused of eating pets and chasing children. Local authorities said it posed “a significant risk to the community”.

Police said they killed the crocodile after consultation with traditional owners, elders, community members and parks and wildlife officials.

In January, a nine-year-old boy was left fighting for his life after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming in the territory.

Last year, an Australian man narrowly escaped being attacked by a saltwater crocodile after it ripped its jaws from its head. Marcus McGowan, 51, from Brisbane, was snorkelling at a luxury resort on a private island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef when he was attacked.