Likely croc attack victim Kevin Darmody ‘would not want culling’

The man believed to have been snatched by a crocodile while fishing on April 29 was a champion bull rider and “role model” who was aware of the risks and would not want crocs shot, his friend has said.

The man believed to have been snatched by a crocodile at Lakefield National Park on April 29 would not have wanted crocodiles shot, his close friend said.

Kevin Darmody, 65, vanished while fishing at Kennedy’s Bend at Lakefield National Park mid-afternoon on April 29.

Kevin Darmody was an experienced Far North angler and was aware of the risks, his friend Dean Price said.

A search involving police, the SES, and wildlife officers at the fishing spot 340km north west of Cairns is continuing.

Mr Darmody was a former Canberra publican who took on the Quinkan Hotel about 20 years ago.

His friend Dean Pace spent a couple of years with him doing up the pub and they travelled to Vietnam and Thailand together.

“He’s more like a father than a best friend,” Mr Pace said through tears.

“He couldn’t drive past Kennedy’s Bend without putting a lure in, he loved catching barra, he’d say ‘just one quick flick,’” Mr Pace said.

“He’d probably been fishing 1000 times there and he said he’d had a close call last year, he said there was a few more crocs about.”

Experienced angler Kevin Darmody, 65, vanished from the banks of the North Kennedy River at (Rinyirru) Lakefield National Park on April 29, and a search is underway. Picture: Facebook

Mr Pace said Kennedy’s Bend was a deep hole and they both knew there was a big croc in there.

“Kev respected crocs, and he would not want culling,” he said.

“People say ‘they should shoot the croc’ but he wouldn’t want that.”

He said Mr Darmody was a champion bull rider in the 1980s.

“Even as he got older, he always wore cowboy boots, buckle and hat, he was always proud to be a cowboy,” Mr Pace said.

“He was mad on fishing, he was a good fisherman, and he’d give you his right hand if he could.

Quinkan Hotel publican Kevin Darmody added this dramatic photo to his Facebook page, which showed him as a keen angler, in 2015. Picture: Supplied

“He loved history – he got bits of wood from old stockyards polished and cleaned up, and he used to make walking sticks,” he said.

Friend Brian Teece said Mr Darmody and his mate Warren Bethel ran successful bull riding competitions in Laura.

“He was a genuinely good bloke, he would help you out anywhere,” Mr Teece said.

“Warren rang me Saturday night and told me the tragic news and I still can’t stop thinking about it, he was a good mate, it’s so sad.”

Tommy Bolton, 44, said he had known Mr Darmody since he was 18 years old.

“He’s a legend of a person,” Mr Bolton said.

He was a great cowboy, back in the day, he was someone to look up to.”

Mr Darmody was a keen clay pigeon shooter, he said.

“He’s just an Australian icon to anyone, he lived life to the fullest, he was an amazing person and a good role model.

“It’s very, very sad.”

Mr Darmody was fishing at Kennedy Bend when his friend heard a yell and splashing noises at about 2.30pm on Saturday.

Cooktown resident Bart Harrison said his mate was nearby when Mr Darmody disappeared.

“He was only 10 minutes down the road and a lad came up on the road shouting ‘he’s gone, he’s gone’ and my mate ran down the bank, and said the water was all stirred up and dirty, you could see something bad happened,” Mr Harrison said.

Originally published as Likely croc attack victim Kevin Darmody ‘would not want culling’