An apparent crocodile attack has taken a man’s life in Australia .
The 26-year-old man was nabbed by the animal, while swimming in a river in Northern Australia, in front of a crowd of at least 15 people.
Northern Territory police said the man was part of a group who was celebrating a birthday at the Mary River Wilderness Retreat, about 70 miles from Darwin, on Saturday when he decided to plunge into the water.
According to sergeant Geoff Bahnert, the crowd was watching the man swim across the river, when suddenly a crocodile appeared with him in his jaws.
Police was searching for the man’s body on Sunday and had reportedly killed the largest crocodile in the river as a precaution.
Some reports suggest that the young man had ignored the warnings posted saying not to swim in the river due to the danger posted by crocodiles present in the area.
And employee at the resort Erin Bayard in Australia, told reporters that they warn visitors not to venture into the river because of possible crocodile attacks.
“We say to everybody it’s full of crocs. It’s one of the most populated rivers in the Territory, every couple of kilometres there is a large croc.”
Saltwater crocodiles are a staple of the tropical Northern part of Australia. The critters can grow to be as big as 23 feet and weigh more than a ton.
The crocodile is a protected species in this part of Australia and their numbers have grown since 1970, bringing with it an increase in the number of attacks on humans.
In December, a nine-year-old boy was taken by a 13-feet-long crocodile while swimming in the Northern Territory, one month after, a seven-year-old girl went missing while swimming, also in the north.
Australian authorities warn visitors to “come, look, take a photograph, and stay out of the water” to avoid the large crocodiles that live in the waters and are suspected of this latest attack.
