A Briton, snorkelling off north-east Australia, is thought to have been killed by a saltwater crocodile.

Russell Harris, 37, was snorkelling on Saturday with a friend off Groote Elyandt Island, near Australia's northern tip, when he disappeared after being seen about 20m off a beach.

According to a BBC report, Harris's body was located and recovered the following day. Although his disappearance was not directly witnessed, his injuries were consistent with a crocodile attack.

It was reported that a crocodile, estimated at about 4m long, had been spotted in the area close to where Harris and his companion were snorkelling.

Harris came from Eastwood, near Nottingham, and is reported to have worked as a mine worker on Groote Elyandt Island.

The death came days after a young snorkeller managed to escape the clutches of another saltwater crocodile, off Australia's north-west coast.

According to the BBC Sam West, 12, was in the sea off Kimberly, about 350 miles south-west of Darwin, when he was seized by the crocodile. Like Russell Harris, he was snorkelling some 20m from shore.

The attack was witnessed by the boy's father, Bill, who reported that the crocodile held his son's head in its jaws, before letting go and attempting to take hold of his arms. The crocodile gave up after the boy went for its eyes.

Sam West was retrieved from the sea and flown to hospital in Darwin, where he was reported to be in a satisfactory condition.

Australia's last fatal crocodile attack occurred in mid-August, again in salt water. A 60-year-old man was dragged under after a crocodile capsized the canoe from which he and his wife were fishing in the Normanby estuary, near Cooktown in Queensland.

The wife swam safely to shore. The 4m crocodile suspected of the attack was shot.

Tropical northern Australia is known for its populations of saltwater crocodiles, which range from coastal seaboards to the upper reaches of tidal rivers. They can grow to about 6m long and can live for some 75 years.

News Index Page