Tourist Falls Into River, Apparently Is Killed by Crocodile

Police said Tuesday human remains were found inside a large crocodile suspected of killing a fisherman in Australia's second fatal attack in about a month, the AP reports. The latest victim was a 40-year-old man who fell from a steep bank Saturday into the Annan River south of Cooktown in Queensland state. He never surfaced. Wildlife rangers on Monday killed a 16-foot crocodile in a creek 2.5 miles from where the man disappeared. The crocodile had scars on its snout like those witnesses described seeing on a reptile in the vicinity of the disappearance, officials said.

The human remains found inside the crocodile during an examination in Cooktown were believed to be the missing man, a police statement said. Further testing would be conducted to positively identify the remains. The man was a tourist from New South Wales, Australia's most populous state which lies beyond crocodiles' tropical habitat. He had been on vacation with his family and fishing at a location known as Crocodile Bend, which is popular among tourists who come to see large crocodiles. Police Acting Chief Superintendent Shane Holmes told media on Monday it was unclear whether the victim's family or people nearby saw what happened. "I believe it was an accident when he fell into the water," Holmes said.

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