Human remains found inside two crocodiles are believed to be those of a missing fisherman, police in Australia said Wednesday.
Officers believe the two crocodiles, around 13-feet-5 inches and 9 feet long, “were involved in an incident with the 65-year-old and were located upstream from where he was last seen,” Queensland Police said in a statement.
The creatures were euthanized by Department of Environment and Science (DES) wildlife officers, the statement said, adding that a search for the man, named by Australian media as Kevin Darmody, had been called off.
“Police will now prepare a report for the coroner,” the statement said.
Officers had been searching for the angler since April 29. He went “missing while fishing,” in the Kennedy River at Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park, police said in earlier statement. A helicopter took part in the search in the remote part of northeast Australia, the statement added.
Rinyirru National Park is known as crocodile or “croc” country, according to the DES. The creatures can be found in the rivers, creeks, swamps, wetlands, waterholes and along beaches of Rinyirru, the department said.
Although crocodiles are common the area, it is just the 13th fatal attack in Queensland since the state's government began keeping records in 1985.
Police Inspector Mark Henderson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Darmody had met a “tragic, tragic ending.”
Separately, Michael Joyce, the DES northern wildlife operations manager, told the broadcaster that rangers killed the crocodiles “within 10 seconds of one another.” He added that it was highly unusual to find two crocodiles feeding on the remains of one human victim.
“We didn’t believe it was common, but this is the second time this has occurred,” he said, adding, “It’s obviously something that does occur in crocodile populations as far as behavior is concerned.”
