Fears local publican taken by crocodile renews calls for culling of endangered species

A man was fishing with friends near a river bank when they heard a massive splash and turned around to find he was gone.

The shock disappearance of a Far North Queensland pub owner has reignited calls for crocodiles to be culled.

Kevin Darmody, 65, was fishing with a friend at Kennedy Bend in the Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park before he vanished into thin air on Saturday afternoon.

It’s feared the fisherman was taken by a crocodile after his friend reported hearing splashing sounds moments before he went missing.

The rural community of Laura – where Mr Darmody ran the local pub – has been rocked by the news of his disappearance.

The Far North Queensland community has been rocked after a feared croc attack. Picture: Getty Escape

Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter said he would be increasing pressure on the state government to cull the species in North Queensland.

“It sounds a bit blunt, but how about we dump them in the river and see how you go?” he told Sunrise on Monday morning.

“We don’t hate crocs, we love crocs … but the problem is crocs love us a bit too much.”

He said the Queensland government’s calls for more vigilance in crocodile hotspots was not good enough as the species was “exploding in numbers”.

Local publican Kevin Darmody, 65, was fishing in Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park before he vanished. Picture: Facebook

“The number of sightings have jumped up to 1000 a year in the space of 10 years,” Mr Katter said.

“Any politician worth their salt in Queensland on the ground knows anecdotally that they are exploding numbers.”

He said while crocodiles had always been a known hazard, they had started to migrate into waterways that were once considered safe.

“I take my family to the Gregory River and we swim there because there are no crocs, but now they come up,” he said.

Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter is calling for the endangered species to be culled. Picture: Queensland Police

The search for Mr Darmody will enter its third day. Picture: Queensland Department of Environment and science

“Nature is out of balance and it might sound ugly and unpalatable for people, but it is becoming harder and harder.”

Crocodiles have been classed as a vulnerable species under state legislation since 1992 after they were nearly hunted to extinction.

The search for Mr Darmody will enter its third day but hopes of finding him are narrowing after a Rescue 510 helicopter and DFES wildlife officers spent the weekend searching for him.

According to a government website detailing the campground, “large crocodiles are frequently” seen in the area.

The DES said it was important that all “crocodile sightings were reported in a timely manner and all crocodile sightings received were investigated.