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Crocodile attacked woman taking late-night swim in Australia

Reuters
SydneyUpdated: Jun 14, 2016, 02:33 AM IST
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Representational image Photograph:(Getty)
A crocodile in Australia snatched a woman taking a late-night swim in a national park and is believed to have killed her, media reported on Monday.

The 46-year-old woman was swimming with a friend late on Sunday in waist-deep water at a beach in Queensland state when she disappeared, police said.

"They felt a nudge, and a large crocodile is alleged to have grabbed one of the ladies and pulled her into the water," Neil Noble, a supervisor for the Queensland state ambulance service, told reporters.

Police would only say the woman was believed to have been taken by a crocodile. Media reported that the friend struggled to pull the woman back from the crocodile`s jaws.

Police did not identify the woman or give her nationality but said she lives in Australia and has family in New Zealand.
A police spokesman told Reuters a search and rescue operation would continue on Tuesday.

Warren Entsch, the area`s member of parliament, said the incident occurred in a place that is popular with crocodile-spotting tours, with many warning signs.

The incident should not encourage reprisals against the animals, he said.

"You can`t legislate against human stupidity," Entsch told reporters. "This is a tragedy but it was avoidable. There are warning signs everywhere up there."