Woman swimming in waist-deep water reported the crocodile sighting to surf lifesavers

Emu Park Main Beach was closed after a woman saw a crocodile on Sunday afternoon. It is the latest in a series of sightings across the region.

Emu Park Main Beach was closed after a crocodile sighting on Sunday afternoon.

Emu Park Main Beach was closed following a crocodile sighting on Sunday afternoon.

A woman swimming in waist-deep water first saw the crocodile and reported it to Emu Park surf lifesavers, who confirmed the sighting.

Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club treasurer Zane Hooton said the beach was immediately closed.

“The sighting was confirmed by the patrol as well as the public report,” he said.

“The lady wasn’t in water that deep and said she was pretty close to it, though we didn’t really get an estimate on the size of the crocodile.

“Our lifesavers kept people off the beach and put up ‘beach closed’ signage.

“They also did roving patrols of Main Beach, as well as Shelly’s Beach and Ladies Beach.”

Main Beach remained closed on Sunday.

A post on the EPSLC’s Facebook page said the current plan was for the beach to re-open at 4pm Monday as long as there were no further sightings.

Mr Hooton said the normal protocol was that a beach remained closed for four hours after the last sighting.

Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club members closed Main Beach on Sunday afternoon.

The DES said on Monday it had not received any reports of a crocodile sighting in that specific area, however if did it would “immediately investigate further”.

Livingstone Shire Council had not received a report either.

“The person who sighted the crocodile at Emu Park Main Beach yesterday has not yet made an official report to the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation,” a council spokesperson said.

“Sightings should be reported to CrocWatch by phoning 1300 130 372, via the QWildlife app, or online at environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living-with/crocodiles/sightings.”

The last crocodile sighting at Emu Park was on November 10 last year.

Sunday’s incident comes after recent sightings of a 2.5m long crocodile near the Coorooman Creek boat ramp near Zilzie.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service first received a report of the crocodile on December 18 last year and on January 5, two more reported sightings were added to the Department of Environment and Science’s croc sighting map.

There was also a report that a crocodile had tried to take a bait bucket from a fisherman at Coorooman Creek.

There has also been crocodile activity in Rockhampton, with a 4.5m specimen spotted in the Fitzroy River downstream from the barrage on December 15.