A twelve year-old girl disappeared in Australia’s Northern Territory, who disappeared while on a family outing, is believed to have been taken by a crocodile. Her family is now speaking out on the issue.
She was last seen on Tuesday July 2 while swimming at Mango Creek, which is located near to the remote Aboriginal community called Palumpa (also known as Nganmarriyanga) about 350 kilometers south-west of the city of Darwin. She was on the outing with her family.
Parts of her body and clothing were later found.
Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson with the Northern Territories Police force told ABC Radio Darwin that the thirty-six hours of uncertainty between the girl’s disappearance and the discovery of the partial remains were tortuously difficult, and now that the worst is known they are devastated and suffering from extreme shock.
As soon as the girl disappeared, she said, the family on scene were able to get word to other family members who were in a position to contact the authorities. The officers who conducted the search are also reeling from the tragic nature of the case at this time.
Jade Walker, a member of the girl’s extended family who was not present on the swimming outing, took to social media to share her sadness. She offered condolences to her other family members and wished for God to have mercy on them in the midst of their pain.
Social media response to the incident has been mixed, with some voices speaking up to remind people that crocodiles are an every day risk in the Northern Territories, with some throwing criticism at the parents for allowing the girl to go swimming at all, especially in an area where crocodiles are known to congregate. They pointed out that warning signs are regularly posted, and expressed disbelief that the girl’s parents taught and exercised poor safety protocols.
Police are currently on a search-and-destroy mission for the responsible crocodile.
