9-year-old boy in critical condition after crocodile attack in Kakadu National Park
A young boy has been raced to the intensive care unit following a crocodile attack in Kakadu National Park. Read the latest.
Northern Territory
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A young boy is in a critical condition after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming in Kakadu National Park.
CareFlight NT confirmed that a patient was airlifted from Jabiru at 9pm Saturday following an earlier crocodile attack.
“The patient was transported to the Jabiru Community Health Centre, CareFlight’s specialist doctor and flight nurse treated the patient at the Jabiru clinic,” a CareFlight spokeswoman said.
The NT News understands that the incident occurred near the historic site, Munmalary Homestead, which sits on the floodplains between the South Alligator and East Alligator Rivers within Kakadu National Park.
A Parks Australia spokeswoman said that the child was swimming in an area “not accessible to the general public”.
She said the patient was airlifted in a critical, but stable condition to Royal Darwin Hospital.
A St John NT spokesman said the paramedic service liaised with the CareFlight transfer of a 9-year-old boy from Jabiru.
It is understood that the child was taken to the intensive care unit.
However, NT Health would not provide a condition update.
“Consent from the parents has not been given to provide a patient condition update,” a spokeswoman said.
The Federal government is responsible for saltwater crocodile management on its land, with Kakadu National Park home to about 10,000 crocodiles — 10 per cent of the Northern Territory’s croc population.
Parks Australia refused to comment when asked if the crocodile involved had been captured, or if rangers were seeking the animal.
Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife said over the past five years rangers had caught more than 50 saltwater crocodiles in local road culverts, locations where people previously enjoyed a dip with friends.
“The arrival of the monsoon season brings a wave of excitement as billabongs, rivers and road culverts fill up once again,” a spokesman said.
“This abundance of water makes it easy for saltwater crocodiles to move around, with some travelling up to 300 km in search of food or a mate.”
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Originally published as 9-year-old boy in critical condition after crocodile attack in Kakadu National Park
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