Search for missing child, reportedly attacked by crocodile, continues in remote NT

The search continues for a 12-year-old girl believed to have been taken by a crocodile in remote Palumpa in the Northern Territory.

Transcript

00:00Police and emergency services are battling challenging conditions as they continue a

00:06desperate search for a 12-year-old girl who has now been missing for well over 24 hours.

00:12There are grave concerns for her well-being after she went missing around 5.30pm on Tuesday

00:19afternoon.

00:20What police have told us is the girl was enjoying bush holidays and afternoon swim with her

00:25family at Mango Creek which is just a few kilometres outside the remote community of

00:30Palumpa.

00:31Now, witnesses also told police they saw a large black crocodile and it is alleged that

00:37young girl was attacked by that crocodile.

00:39Extremely concerning circumstances which sparked a very swift response from police.

00:45Local officers are now accompanied by specialist police who are combing through that area both

00:50on foot and in boats.

00:52The area they're searching isn't expansive but it's very challenging, a narrow winding

00:57creek with mangroves.

00:59The water, we've been told, is very dark and also very deep.

01:02A helicopter has also been deployed in the hopes of being able to see something from

01:06above but certainly very challenging circumstances for police and rescue teams.

01:12Given the circumstances surrounding this young girl's disappearance, it has been an extremely

01:17distressing time for both the community and her family involved.

01:21We spoke to the police officer who is in charge of this search mission and has been

01:25speaking with the family throughout this difficult time.

01:29It's really confronting, it's difficult and it's extremely sad.

01:33The immediate family are highly distressed as you can understand.

01:37The community is rallying together to provide support for that family but it's also very

01:44distressing and very confronting for police officers who are assisting in the search.

01:50What we also know is Mango Creek is a popular swimming spot and like so many of the rivers

01:56and waterways here in the top end of the Northern Territory, crocodiles are a very real risk.

02:02This is not the first time the community has experienced a crocodile attack, although the

02:06last time we had a facial crocodile attack in the Northern Territory was back in 2018.

02:12So police are taking this opportunity to urge the community to be croc-wise, be careful

02:18where and where you swim.

02:20This is a very pertinent example of just how dangerous a quick dip can be.