Crocodile prime suspect for a missing 14-year old boy

The youngster was last seen playing with his brothers in a creek on the remote Milingimbi Island, and it is thought that the tide may have swept him away after he was bitten.

Superintendent Helen Braam said it was unlikely the boy would be found alive.

'Obviously if we can find a crocodile in the area, we will want to focus our search around that area,' she added.

'As you can imagine the community is quite devastated and shocked by what's happened.'

The youngster's siblings, who speak limited English, raised the alarm when their brother went missing and trained experts are now working with them to gather as much information about the incident as possible.
Around two people are thought to die from saltwater crocodile attacks each year.

In 2009 a 20-year-old man was attacked as he swam in a Darwin river and an 11-year-old girl was killed in a swamp near the city just weeks later.

Earlier this month, Eddie Sigai of Queensland, Australia, fought off a croc which attacked him and his daughters.

The family had been swimming at Benning Creek when the attack took place and Mr Sigai punched the creature and went for its eyes after it lunged at him, he told the Sunday Mail.

He spent two days in hospital recovering from bites and scratches following the incident.


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