Menu

Topics

Connect

Comments

Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.

Crocodile kills Australian senior with dementia who wandered from nursing home

WATCH ABOVE: Police say senior likely killed by crocodile after wandering away from nursing home – Oct 13, 2017

Authorities in northern Australia were searching Friday for a crocodile suspected of killing a dementia patient who wandered from a nursing home, police said.

Story continues below advertisement

READ MORE: Australian man survives after jumping into crocodile-filled water to impress a girl

Human remains along with Anne Cameron’s clothes and walking stick were found near a creek bank on Thursday two days after the 79-year-old woman wandered from a nursing home at Port Douglas in Queensland state, police inspector Ed Lukin said.

Police suspect she wandered into the tropical forest and became disoriented, triggering an extensive search.

The remains were found about two kilometres from the nursing home.

READ MORE: Australian woman says she regularly sleeps with crocodile

Pathologists in Cairns confirmed Friday that the remains were human, Lukin said.

“We strongly suspect now that there has been involvement of a crocodile attack given the location of those items and the human remains … close to a watercourse,” Lukin said.

Story continues below advertisement
Situated north of Cairns in the north of Queensland lies the sleepy town of Port Douglas where the wealthy of Australia vacation during the cold winter months. REX/James D. Morgan

While police were waiting for the results of further forensic tests, Lukin said it was “highly likely” the remains were Cameron’s since no one else had been reported missing in the area.

State rangers set crocodile traps on Thursday night and searched surrounding waterways by helicopter and boat on Friday, he said.

READ MORE: Australian police capture 15-foot ‘cattle killer’ crocodile

The woman’s granddaughter, Isabella Eggins, posted on social media that the family “have the firm belief that my nan Anne Cameron has passed away in tragic circumstances.”

Story continues below advertisement

Crocodiles are territorial, and killer crocs are usually caught near the scene of attacks.

Government wildlife director Michael Joyce said he was confident of catching the crocodile, and urged the public to report any “abnormal” crocodile behaviour.

The killer crocodile “may show a level of boldness that is different from other crocodiles in the river,” Joyce said.

Crocodiles have been a protected species in Australia since the 1970s, which has led to an explosion in their population across the country’s tropical north. Because saltwater crocodiles can live up 70 years and grow throughout their lives — reaching up to seven metres in length — the proportion of large crocodiles is also rising.

Advertisement

You are viewing an Accelerated Mobile Webpage.

View Original Article