Investigation underway after 16ft croc lunges at fisherman in Jane Creek on New Year’s Eve

A fisherman and his tinnie have been left remarkably unscathed after a run in with a crocodile almost 5m in length on New Year’s Eve.

Squid and his 10 foot tinnie, both remarkably unscathed from the encounter. Photo: Contributed

Richard Brookman’s New Year’s Eve turned into a fight for survival when a crocodile almost 5m in length leapt into his boat and launched itself at him.

Mr Brookman, nicknamed Squid after he caught more than 520 squid in one day, has been fishing the waters of the Mackay reef catchment and Jane Creek all his life and knows the area well.

His story starts in the afternoon on December 31, 2023 when he finished up a phone conversation with his friend and Mirani MP Steve Andrew.

“He called me up to wish me a happy New Year,” Mr Brookman said.

“I told him I was going to fish the New Year in.

“He was thinking about coming with me, but was worried about the storms of crocs.

“It doesn’t phase me too much, I can read crocs.”

Squid left St Helens Beach boat ramp after 2pm, when the tide was going out, and took his boat into Jane Creek with the intention of setting up his crab pots and catching mangrove jack.

St Helens Bay on New Year’s Eve was too choppy for Squid to fish in, so he sought shelter in nearby Jane Creek. Photo: Contributed

He caught a few smaller fish and collected sand crabs from his pots when, about 5:30pm, he decided to head further up the creek to escape the swell caused by the oncoming storm.

About 8.30pm, Squid set up a tarp to cover his electronics from the weather and moved to the front of the boat.

“I remember the time because I was on Facebook on my phone, when I felt this eerie feeling of being watched,” Squid said.

“At that time of night, it’s not a great feeling to have.”

Squid turned on his battery-operated headlight, with a range of about 1km, and saw sitting roughly 800m away, one eye staring back at him.

“I thought ‘oooh, look at this cheeky bugger’,” Squid said.

“I wanted him to face me, the distance between the eyes is usually a good indication of how big a croc is, but he just wouldn’t turn, just kept swimming, hugging the bank.

“I checked my position and looked away from him, but he did 800m in about 2 minutes and was right beside me.

“Oh my God, I’m in trouble.”

Squid, a native to the area, was able to tell the difference between a crocodile simply protecting its territory and one acting aggressively.

“He was hungry,” Squid said

“I was halfway to the motor when he sank beneath the water.

“By the time I was at my (motor) he was in the boat.”

The crocodile launched itself out of the water with it’s mouth open and covered the entire width of the 10ft tinnie.

“I know crocs are fast but I didn’t think that fast,” Squid said.

“He more or less used the rails as a slide to come and get me.

“By the time he reached me, the boat was already tipping up.

“I jumped over him to get to the front of the boat so I wouldn’t fall out the back.

“The whole of the boat was out of the water.

“Water was coming in and I hung on for dear life.

“Once he slipped back into the water I had about 500L of water in the boat.”

When Squid put out his boat at 2pm on New Years Eve, he had no idea what he was in for. Photo: contributed

After letting water out of his boat, Squid was to escape the crocodile, even though it followed him for some time after he left the area.

“There could have been so many different scenarios,” Squid said.

“If it wasn’t for the storms, I would have been sitting down the back where he could have got me and I wouldn’t have known he was there.

“I was very lucky that night. If I’d had someone with me it would have been different circumstance, someone would have been killed no two ways about it.”

Remarkably, Mr Brookman’s boat remains largely undamaged, save for bent rails and some skid marks on the front of the boat.

“I don’t want to see him shot,” Mr Brookman said, bringing his story to a close.

“I’d like to see him removed so I can fish, but I don’t want him killed.

“People have to understand it’s their territory.

“They haven’t lived on this earth for millions of years through being stupid.”

Despite the ordeal, Squid said he’ll be returning to Jane Creek at some point to fish and this encounter has not tarnished his enjoyment of fishing or his view of the mammoth reptiles.

“They are beautiful creatures.”

‘People need to know that it’s there’

Mr Andrew said he had officially reported the crocodile sighting as well as spoken to Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Minister Leanne Linard and the Department of Environment and Science (DES) director-general.

“People need to know that it’s there,” Mr Andrew said.

Senior wildlife officer Jane Burns said wildlife officers made contact with the fisherman on 1 January 2024, and initial information suggests the crocodile was not in the tinnie for too long.

“This would have been a frightening incident for the fisherman who we are told is a long-term local who has fished in Jane Creek for decades,” Ms Burns said.

“The man said he had been fishing around four hours and when he saw the large crocodile approaching the boat, he moved to the back of the vessel and started the engine.

“The fisherman went to the boat ramp at Black Rock Creek. He told us he had never seen such a large crocodile behaving that way in the region before.”

She said their team was being mobilised from Mackay to conduct a daytime site assessment and install recent crocodile sighting warning signs at suitable access points.

“Should we not confirm the presence of a crocodile during our daytime search, we will conduct a nighttime spotlight assessment in Jane Creek when tidal conditions are suitable,” Ms Burns said.

“If a crocodile is in the vicinity, we will assess its behaviour and the risks posed to public safety, and if it is assessed as a problem crocodile, it will be targeted for removal from the wild.

“People who are using Jane Creek or St Helens Beach should be extremely vigilant, because the Mackay region is Croc Country, and people should avoid complacency around waterways.

“Wildlife officers investigate every report we receive, and estuarine crocodiles that pose a threat to human safety are targeted for removal under the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan.”

Crocwise tips for people in Mackay

• Expect crocodiles in all northern and far northern Queensland waterways even if there is no warning sign
• Obey all warning signs – they are there to keep you safe
• Be aware crocs also swim in the ocean and be extra cautious around water at night
• Stay well away from croc traps – that includes fishing and boating
• The smaller the vessel the greater the risk, so avoid using canoes and kayaks
• Stand back from the water’s edge when fishing and don’t wade in to retrieve a lure
• Camp at least 50m from the edge of the water
• Never leave food, fish scraps or bait near the water, camp sites or boat ramps
• Never provoke, harass or feed crocs
• Always supervise children near the water and keep pets on a lead

Members of the public are encouraged to report all crocodile sightings to DES as soon as possible, through the QWildlife app, via the DES website or by calling 1300 130 372.