A body was discovered during the hunt for a missing youngster from a croc attack.
The 12-year-old was last spotted at nightfall on Tuesday, swimming in the isolated Northern Territory town of Nganmarriyanga.
Police in Australia discovered human remains while searching for a 12-year-old who they believe was the victim of a crocodile attack.
The boy was last seen on Tuesday swimming with family near the isolated Aboriginal hamlet of Nganmarriyanga, located roughly a 7-hour drive southwest of Darwin in the Northern Territory.
"This is devastating news for the family, the community, and everyone involved in the search," said Senior Sgt Erica Gibson, adding that police will provide assistance to those affected.
Earlier, Sgt Gibson informed ABC News that a black crocodile had been observed in the neighborhood.
Approximately 40 people of the community assisted police officers in their hunt for the child, which began shortly after the 12-year-old was reported missing. They combed the area on foot, by boat, and with helicopters, navigating difficult terrain with dense foliage and a narrow, meandering river.
No information was provided on whether the crocodile accused of attacking the toddler had been found.
Earlier on Wednesday, NT Police Minister Brent Potter stated that wildlife officers had been authorized to "remove" the crocodile from the region after it was discovered, and reaffirmed the government's safety message.
We live in an area where crocodiles inhabit our waterways... it's just a warning to keep out of the water as much as possible.
" Saltwater crocodiles are found all over northern Australia, from Broome in Western Australia to Gladstone in Queensland, and were hunted almost to extinction before being banned in the 1970s.
The Northern Territory now has an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles, the most anywhere in the world. Attacks though are uncommon.
In the Northern Territory, there have been two crocodile attacks in the past year: a nine-year-old boy was injured in January while swimming in Kakadu National Park, and a farmer escaped a beast's jaws by biting it in October.
However, there has not been a fatal attack in the NT since 2018. In Queensland, a 16-year-old boy was killed in the Torres Strait in April.
