A LITHGOW woman is believed to have been the victim of a crocodile attack after a late night swim in a far North Queensland creek went horribly wrong.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The victim, 46-year-old Cindy Waldron, 46, had reportedly moved to Lithgow from Leura and had come to Australia from New Zealand around 19 years ago.
According to police, Ms Waldron was swimming in waist-deep water with Cairns woman Leeann Mitchell, 47, about 10.30pm Sunday when the croc took her.
The ABC reported the pair was walking arm in arm in knee-deep water after meeting up to celebrate the completion of the Queenslander's cancer treatment.
The incident occurred in the Daintree region of Far North Queensland and police sources said they had gone for a swim at an area known as Thornton Beach at Cape Tribulation about 10.30 Sunday night.
Cape Tribulation is in the world renowned Daintree National Park.
The Cairns Post reported that Ms Waldron’s companion heard a panicked cry ‘... a croc’s got me’ then she disappeared.
A large search was continuing yesterday involving ground crews, SES members in boats and a helicopter.
The Ms Waldron's companion was taken to hospital in Mossman after attempting to drag the victim from the crocodile’s jaws.
Reports indicated she had been injured when ‘nudged’ by the crocodile.
Queensland police spokesman Const Russell Parker said the two women had been on a late night beach walk when they decided to go for a swim.
They were in waist deep water when the crocodile attacked.
“They were obviously not aware of the dangers,” he said.
The local Member of Parliament for that area Warren Entsch said it defied belief that ‘anyone would go for a late night swim in croc country’.
He said the entire Daintree is ‘peppered’ with warning signs.
“If you go swimming at 10 o’clock at night you’ll get consumed,” he said.
“This was an avoidable tragedy.”
