Sunday, February 20, 2011

Teenage boy taken by croc



Teenage boy taken by croc

Police say a teenage boy taken by a crocodile at a remote Northern Territory community might still be found alive.

Police say the 14-year-old was playing in a creek at Milingimbi, a remote Aboriginal community on an island along the Arnhem coast about 400-kilometres east of Darwin.

His brothers told police officers they watched as the 14-year-old was taken by a saltwater crocodile around lunchtime on Sunday.

A search by police and members of the Milingimbi community has found no trace of the teenager.

But Senior Sergeant Craig Ryan says the teenager could still be found alive.

"We are certainly hoping that we will find this boy alive and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that we will," he said.

"He may have simply been caught in the tidal outwash from the creek and he might well and truly be alive.

"So at this stage we are conducting a search for a missing person."

Nine extra officers have been sent to the community to continue the search, which will resume at first light on Monday.

It is understood a large crocodile had been seen in the area where the young boys were swimming over the past week.