Police find evidence to show fisherman Kevin Darmody was victim of crocodile attack

Police say they have found evidence to conclude a fisherman missing in Cape York since Saturday was attacked by a crocodile.

Two crocodiles, suspected of killing a fisherman, have been killed by wildlife officers in Lakeland National Park. Picture: Supplied

Police say they have found evidence to conclude a fisherman missing in Cape York since Saturday was attacked by a crocodile.

The 2.8m crocodile was one of two shot by wildlife officers near the Kennedy Bend section of the Kennedy River on Monday night.

Police found “items of relevance” inside the animal, and were expected to conduct another necropsy on a second 4.1m crocodile late on Tuesday.

Laura publican Kevin Darmody was fishing from the bank of the river in Lakefield National Park, 340km northwest of Cairns, when he disappeared. His friend John Peiti, who was fishing 50m away at the time, told The Australian they had spotted a dark croc­odile – “about 3m in length” – on a sandbar as soon as they arrived.

As it scurried into the water, Mr Darmody told Mr Peiti about another crocodile, “a real big bastard”, that lived in the stretch of river. They then began fishing and within minutes his friend was gone.

“He knew the spot well and he’s got some big barra out of there,” Mr Peiti said. “I grabbed a rod and by the time I’d flicked (a lure) once, I heard Kevin roaring at something. Next minute I see a big splash. I didn’t see him or a croc, nothing.”

Mr Peiti ran through the bush to the place his friend had been fishing but found only his thongs on the steep riverbank next to a large goanna.

There was no sign of him in the murky green water.

Mr Peiti suspects the goanna may have spooked his friend, causing him to fall into the water where the crocodile was waiting beneath the surface.

“He was taken straight down,” Mr Peiti said. “There was no waving your arms in the air or anything, just a total disappearance. No swirls in the water.

“It was pretty steep there and one false move and there’s no stopping yourself.

“There was no water on the bank that indicated something’s come out of the water.”

Kevin Darmody. Picture: Facebook

After searching along the river bank for his mate, Mr Peiti was joined by other friends the pair had been fishing with earlier in the day. With no phone service, they drove to a ranger’s station to report what had happened.

Mr Peiti, from Moruya in southern NSW, had been staying with Mr Darmody, known as Stumpy for his short stature, for a week before the incident. Driving back to NSW on Tuesday, he said it was “surreal” to leave north Queensland.

“I’ve been up here a few times with Stumpy, he’s been up there for 20 years, and we’d go and do a bit of fishing,” he said.

“It was a relaxing time and really good up until the other day.”

Mr Peiti backed renewed calls, led by Katter’s Australian Party, for a crocodile cull.

Critics of a cull have said it would not prevent attacks and only lull people into a dangerous false sense of security.

KAP leader Robbie Katter said Queensland’s protected crocodile population needed to be “thinned” with a cull. “Of course that’s not to say we would be able to prevent every encounter, but we could significantly reduce the risks,” he said. “Human and saltwater crocodile populations don’t mix and our government needs to weigh up whose lives it places more value on.”