Croc Attack

[almostaugust]

Did you guys here about this croc attack in Australia?-

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1015070.htm

What a horrible ordeal for those poor guys.

[forseti-6]

That's horrible... watching a friend get eaten by a croc. *shivers*

[Steffi]

How do you recover from seeing something like that? That's just crazy.

[Emotion]

wow.

[Snakebyt]

that would suck...

[Nisses]

Who would willingly go fish in a river that is known to be infested with crocs or alligators?

I sure as hell wouldn't

[sailor]

Originally posted by Nisses
Who would willingly go fish in a river that is known to be infested with crocs or alligators?

I sure as hell wouldn't

We waterski at my lakehouse in areas that are *full* of alligators. I have seen them sitting there in the water as we ski past. You can hear them calling at night, they sound like bullfrogs. Like most animals though, they wont hurt you unless you do something to cause them to either get angry at you or to mistake you for food.

[cchris]

LINK TO STORY
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_...E26462,00.html

The eerie part of this is that the fucking thing stalked and taunted the pair of these guys whilst they sat in a tree for 20 hrs until rescuers could get to them.
It would go under for a while only to keep re-surfacing at a different spot and just watch them.

Intelligent killing machine.



Croc search held up
By Paul Dyer
December 25, 2003

WATER levels would have to fall at least 4m before a search could resume for a man killed by a crocodile, police said yesterday.

The search for Brett Mann, taken by a 4m crocodile in the rain-swollen Finniss River, near Darwin, was suspended yesterday.

Marine and Fisheries Unit Senior Sergeant Garry Casey said police assessed the river conditions by helicopter yesterday.

They would wait until the water level subsided 4m before starting the search again.

He said daily flights over the area would continue, but the search would only restart when the water level had fallen.

"The current is quite strong and there is a lot of debris - it is far too dangerous to get boats back in the water," Snr-Sgt Casey said.

"We are probably looking at a three to four metre drop at this stage."

Mr Mann, 22, of Howard Springs, was killed by the crocodile while on a quad bike riding trip with two friends on Sunday, 80km south-west of Darwin.

His friends, Shaun Blowers and Ashley McGough, both 19, were rescued by police after they huddled together in a tree for 22 hours while being stalked by the crocodile.

The pair were winched to safety by a helicopter about 3pm on Monday.

Snr-Sgt Casey said persistent rain had seen the already flooded river rise by another 2m on Tuesday night.

"At this stage, where the edge of the river is now, it is some 100m from the tree the boys were rescued from," he said.

"That tree is usually on the bank - so it has expanded quite a fair way."

Snr-Sgt Casey said Brett's father Ben, had joined police on yesterday's flight over the scene of the attack.

"He was emotional - but also thankful that he had the opportunity to go there and have a look at the area," he said.

"He is supporting us in our actions and he is hoping, like we are, that we can find Brett."

Northern Territory News

[sailor]

Originally posted by cchris
LINK TO STORY
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_...E26462,00.html

The eerie part of this is that the fucking thing stalked and taunted the pair of these guys whilst they sat in a tree for 20 hrs until rescuers could get to them.
It would go under for a while only to keep re-surfacing at a different spot and just watch them.

Intelligent killing machine.



Croc search held up
By Paul Dyer
December 25, 2003

WATER levels would have to fall at least 4m before a search could resume for a man killed by a crocodile, police said yesterday.

The search for Brett Mann, taken by a 4m crocodile in the rain-swollen Finniss River, near Darwin, was suspended yesterday.

Marine and Fisheries Unit Senior Sergeant Garry Casey said police assessed the river conditions by helicopter yesterday.

They would wait until the water level subsided 4m before starting the search again.

He said daily flights over the area would continue, but the search would only restart when the water level had fallen.

"The current is quite strong and there is a lot of debris - it is far too dangerous to get boats back in the water," Snr-Sgt Casey said.

"We are probably looking at a three to four metre drop at this stage."

Mr Mann, 22, of Howard Springs, was killed by the crocodile while on a quad bike riding trip with two friends on Sunday, 80km south-west of Darwin.

His friends, Shaun Blowers and Ashley McGough, both 19, were rescued by police after they huddled together in a tree for 22 hours while being stalked by the crocodile.

The pair were winched to safety by a helicopter about 3pm on Monday.

Snr-Sgt Casey said persistent rain had seen the already flooded river rise by another 2m on Tuesday night.

"At this stage, where the edge of the river is now, it is some 100m from the tree the boys were rescued from," he said.

"That tree is usually on the bank - so it has expanded quite a fair way."

Snr-Sgt Casey said Brett's father Ben, had joined police on yesterday's flight over the scene of the attack.

"He was emotional - but also thankful that he had the opportunity to go there and have a look at the area," he said.

"He is supporting us in our actions and he is hoping, like we are, that we can find Brett."

Northern Territory News

OK, that is creepy. The alligators at my lake sure as hell dont do that. Granted, I dont know about the predatory differences between an alligator and a crocodile, but I sure dont think Id want one stalking me.

[almostaugust]

Yeah,
This is the same river where 'Sweatheart' in infamous 5.2m croc haunted in the late 1970s. Sweatheart attacked many boats and outboard motors. I dont think Steve Irwin would be putting his face too close to that croc. "Crikey".

[moonstrucksoul]

krie-kee that's not cool

[WhoaitsZ]

that is just simply freaking odd. It doesn't help the victems one whit, but.... things happen.

remember the little girl who was killed by fire ants? It is one of the awful, soul tearing It Happens incidents.

alligators are very passive. one striking a human being is mostly unheard of unless it is a story concerning the past, urban legen, or the beast was forced to defend itself.

most gators bassically do this:

they ignore you if you keep distance

they can be walked by if you play it right; keep your cool, show no fea, walk softly.

gators will threaten before strike unless it is after food.

most lizards will headbutt or tail whip you before using its' jawls

it will defend its' nest to the death, just like us.

I have high respect for gator because they know we are there and will let us be.

the only sittuation besides a bloody wound to attract it or if one is guarding the nest where they attack are while mowing or such because the bull thinks it is a male come to take his land.

crocidiles area bit more aggresive but are far from an overly aggro creature.


i feel bad for them. I hope they do not feel need for revenge.

I would suggest proffesionals removing the one whostalked them.

hell..... that unnerves me... not trying to say i'm a badass or anything; i just have no fear of animals and i connect quickly with them.

RIP, sir. fate is an odd thing.

[herostar]

that's scary as hell. I'd never go back there again.

[cchris]

Follow up.

LINK
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_...E26462,00.html

Croc sighting gives searchers hope
December 29, 2003

THE sighting of a large crocodile close to where a man was taken last week was an encouraging development in the search for his body, Northern Territory police said today.

Police spokesman John McCourt said the search for the body of 22-year-old Brett Mann was broadened late yesterday to encompass a 25 kilometre stretch of the Finniss River, 80km south-west of Darwin.

He said a large crocodile was sighted less than three kilometres from where Mr Mann was taken.

"We are very encouraged by the sighting."

Mr McCourt said the search party of police officers from the Tactical Response Group (TRG), wildlife rangers and the marine and fisheries department would be relieved and replaced today.

The saltwater crocodile killed Mr Mann last Sunday, then stalked two of his friends as they clung to a tree for 22 hours.

They were eventually winched to safety by a rescue chopper.

Heavy rain and floodwaters have since hindered the search for Mr Mann's body.

[intecel]

I live in Florida. There are pleanty of gator/croc attacks around here that they don't even phase me anymore.

[mingusfingers]

That's pretty nuts. And chased them up a tree. Crazy croc.

[cchris]

So if the chances of finding his body are remote then why kill the croc?
People have the opportunity to heed the warnings and avoid going to areas known to have crocs so it just seems a pointless act of revenge.

LINK TO STORY
http://news.com.au/common/story_page...E13569,00.html

Croc shot as searchers lose hope
By PAUL DYER
December 31, 2003

Police believe it is unlikely the body of crocodile victim Brett Mann will be found.

Parks and Wildlife Rangers were last night confident a 3.8m saltwater crocodile shot just 1km from the site of the attack was the one which took Mr Mann.

But a search for the crocodile, which sank after it was shot, was continuing last night.

NT Police marine and fisheries unit Senior Constable Dallas Graetz said officers were still searching for Mr Mann's body.

"We would be very lucky to find anything now -- it has been over a week," he said.

"If the river goes down probably a metre there is the chance we will find some clothing or something like that.

"But the chance of finding Brett is pretty remote now."

Mr Mann, 22, of Howard Springs, was this month attacked by a crocodile in the Finniss River while on a quad bike riding trip.

His friends, Shaun Blowers and Ashley McGough, both 19, were forced to spend 22 hours in a tree to escape the crocodile before being rescued by police.

NT Parks and Wildlife senior conservation operations officer Phil Hauser said searchers had spotted two saltwater crocs near the attack site.

A 2.8m crocodile was seen about 1km upstream from the tree, while a 3.8m croc was found just 300m away.

About 9.30pm on Monday, after a two-hour hunt, Mr Hauser shot the larger croc in the back of the head from about 10m away.

"It is probably within the size class of the animal that is a suspect -- and certainly he was within the area," he said.

"Hopefully the shot was good enough and he is dead."

But Mr Hauser admitted he was not certain it was the croc responsible.

"It is possible that it is not necessarily the croc that took the person," he said.

The croc, believed to be a male about 15 years old, is expected to float to the surface within the next two days.

Northern Territory News

[madp]

Someone from Australia, help me understand:

How widespread are saltwater crocodiles on the Australian continent? Are they limited to certain areas? If so, why do people engage in recreational activities in those areas, given how notoriously vicious, aggressive, and lethal they are? Are there many fatal attacks every year?

I live in southern Louisiana, so I'm very familiar with alligators. They are typically not interested in anything larger than a medium-sized dog, and they pretty much ignore humans and are not a threat to adults. The biggest problem down here is when they start sunning themselves on the greens of golf courses, or take up residence in a community pond which has no natural food source (say goodbye to Muffin and Fluffy).

[EruptiveDreamz]

I see someone hasn't watched much of the Crocodile hunter. Sad that had to happen.

[timalkin]

There is an alligator that watches me while I fish from the bank in a local river. I try not to get too close to the bank, especially when he goes under the water. He'd probably be scared as hell if I fell in, but better safe than sorry.