top of page

LIST OF FATAL SALTWATER CROCODILE ATTACKS IN AUSTRALIA

The following is a list of all documented fatal saltwater crocodile attacks that have occurred in Australia since the 19th Century. Unknown attacks are likely to have occurred and have likely contributed to Australia's Missing Persons cases.

19th Century

Name, Age

Date

Location

Comments

20/01/1867

Crocodile Creek, QLD

A young Aboriginal girl was taken by a crocodile while bathing.

1/06/1869

Norman River, QLD

A man was killed by a crocodile while unfastening a rope at a river margin.

William Davis

16/05/1872

Port Darwin, NT

11/10/1873

Johnstone River, QLD

An expedition led by George Elphinstone Dalrymple was attacked by a mob of Aborigines as they camped on the Johnstone River. Failing, they fled. The leader of the Aborigines was mauled by a crocodile as he swam across the river.

Harry

1/03/1874

Herbert River, QLD

Porter, 15

6/03/1874

Euri Creek, QLD

A 15-year-old boy named Porter was dragged into Euri Creek by a saltwater crocodile and killed.

15/09/1876

near Maryborough, QLD

Boby White

15/06/1877

Smithfield, Cairns, QLD

Mr Matthews

15/06/1878

Burdekin River, QLD

3/03/1880

near Jarvisfield, QLD

Ah Pan

15/02/1881

Barron River, QLD

A Chinese man named Ah Pan was attacked and killed by a saltwater crocodile while crossing the Barron River.

19/02/1883

Herbert River, QLD

Arsin

Donald McAulay

1884

Mulgrave River, QLD

Margaret Gordon, 15

24/02/1886

Cattle Creek, QLD

Joseph Jackson

13/11/1889

Murray River, QLD

James Mason, 10

17/01/1893

Strathford, QLD

James Mason was attacked and killed while bathing in the Barron River with his father and younger brother.

15/06/1893

Bloomfield River, QLD

A man was killed while hunting bandicoot along the river bank.

31/08/1894

Barron River, QLD

A Chinese fisherman was reportedly killed in the Barron River.

15/02/1897

A man was killed by a crocodile while swimming to the opposite bank to retrieve a pipe.

Mossman River, QLD

17/04/1897

Barron River, QLD

A "black" (Aboriginal) woman was reportedly killed in the Barron River.

Croc.jpg
19th Century

1903-1949

Name, Age

Date

Location

Comments

1/01/1903

Endeavour River, QLD

An Aboriginal child was reportedly killed while camping along the Endeavour River.

Constable Parker

15/03/1904

Wyndham, WA

Unknown male

15/06/1904

Logan River, QLD

Unknown male

1/03/1905

Murray River, QLD

A man was killed while preparing to jump into the Murray River.

Amelia Healy

7/04/1912

Raglan Creek, QLD

Unknown male

1/06/1905

King Leopold Ranges, WA

Unknown male

1/08/1914

Broome, WA

Killed while fishing.

Unknown male, 60

7/04/1915

Redbank Creek, QLD

Unknown female, 16

29/05/1915

Melville Island, NT

Unknown male

1/06/1916

Forrest River, WA

Unknown male

1/03/1917

near Entrance Island, QLD

Unknown male

Unknown female

19/03/1917

Barron River, QLD

Unknown male, 50

15/10/1920

Honeymoon Bay, WA

Killed while shooting crocodiles.

Andras Peter Peterson

25/10/1920

Walder's Creek, QLD

Billy Nettle

c.1921

Temple Bay, QLD

Longford

c.1921

Temple Bay, QLD

Killed alongside Billy Nettle.

Unknown female

c.1921

Temple Bay, QLD

Killed not long after Longford & Billy Nettle in same creek.

Unknown male

6/01/1924

Tidal Waterhole, QLD

Killed while swimming in a waterhole with three other men.

21/12/1925

Walcott Inlet, WA

Unknown male

1931

Seymour River, QLD

Killed while fishing.

Unknown female, 4

4/01/1932

Seymour River, Halifax, QLD

Unknown female

1/03/1932

Bathurst Island, NT

Killed while sitting in a canoe.

Unknown female

05/1932

Bynoe Harbour, Darwin, NT

Unknown male

15/01/1933

Stewart River, QLD

9/03/1933

Pindi Pindi, QLD

A saltwater crocodile was responsible for the deaths of two schoolgirls, who were riding to school on horseback. One schoolgirl was drowned while the other's remains were found inside the crocodile.

Charlie

15/09/1933

Daly River, NT

Unknown male

1/01/1935

Victoria River, NT

Unknown female, 4

15/06/1935

Daly River, NT

Unknown male

c.1936

Ord River, WA

Unknown male, 58

30/06/1937

Wyndham, WA

Unknown male

c.1939

Bradshaw's Creek, NT

Maude

17/03/1939

South Alligator River, NT

Ellen Elizabeth Ah Kee, 12

27/11/1942

Mulgrave River, QLD

Unknown female

29/04/1947

Darwin, NT

Unknown male, 30

15/03/1948

Fitzroy River, WA

Unknown male

23/02/1949

Hart's Crossing, Ord River, WA

27989826iicae.jpg

1903-1949

1903-1949
1975-1994

1975-1994

Name, Age

Date

Location

Comments

26/04/1975

Mission River, QLD

Peter Reimers, 32

4/10/1979

Rainbow Cliffs, NT

Trevor Gaghan, 28

Killed while sitting in a canoe.

15/07/1980

Cato River, NT

Bakurra Munyarryun

Killed while fishing.

Killed while swimming in a waterhole with three other men.

25/11/1980

Wyndham, WA

Paul Flanagan

21/12/1985

Daintree River, QLD

Beryl Wruck, 43

Disappeared during a social event.

6/09/1986

McArthur River, NT

Lee McLeod, 39

Killed while sitting in a canoe.

17/03/1987

Cahills Crossing, NT

Kerry McLoughlin, 40

Killed while fishing.

29/03/1987

Prince Regent River, WA

Ginger Meadows, 24

Killed while swimming with a group at Kings Cascade Falls.

26/06/1987

Maguiag Island, QLD

Cornwall Mooka, 37

30/09/1988

Cato River, NT

Alex Bururru, 25

15/05/1990

Deception Bay, NT

Albert Juzelionas, 43

Near Alyangula.

23/12/1993

Jardine River, QLD

Cassey Bond, 48

1994

Innisfail, QLD

A croc handler was killed at the Johnstone River Crocodile Farm.

crocslider3.jpg

21st Century

21st Century

Name, Age

Date

Location

Comments

23/10/2002

Sandy Billabong, NT

A female tourist was attacked and killed while swimming with friends.

Unknown female

21/12/2003

Finnis River, NT

Brett Mann

17/08/2005

Lakefield National Park, QLD

Dragged from a canoe and killed while fishing with his wife.

Barry Jefferies, 60

26/09/2005

Groote Eylandt, NT

Russell Harris, 37

Killed while snorkeling.

29/09/2005

Coburg Peninsula, NT

Killed while scuba diving.

Unknown male, 56

9/07/2006

Blythe River, NT

Unknown female, 8

Killed while fishing with family.

30/09/2008

Endeavour River, QLD

Arthur Brooker, 62

8/02/2009

Daintree River, QLD

Jeremy Doble, 5

Unknown female, 11

03/2009

Black Jungle Billabong, NT

Killed while swimming with friends at Black Jungle Billabong - an area which is actually off limits to the public.

20/02/2011

Milingimbi Island, NT

Unknown male, 14

7/12/2011

Bushy Island, QLD

Killed while snorkeling.

Unknown male

16/11/2012

Gumarrirnbang Outstation, NT

Unknown female, 7

1/12/2012

Port Bradshaw, NT

An Aboriginal boy was mauled while swimming at Port Bradshaw.

Unknown male, 12

03/2013

La Djadarr Bay, WA

Unknown male, 15

Went missing on March 13 and his body was found the following morning.

Sean Cole, 26

24/08/2013

Mary River, QLD

Unknown male, 12

26/01/2014

Mudginberri Billabong, Kakadu National Park, NT

Unknown male, 62

7/06/2014

South Alligator River, Kakadu National Park, NT

Travis Costa, 22

1/08/2014

Melville Island, NT

Went missing on 1 August. Human remains were later recovered from a crocodile shot dead by police.

Unknown male, 57

18/08/2014

Adelaide River, NT

Killed while fishing near the Adelaide River Bridge.

17/05/2016

Gunn Point, NT

A crocodile rammed a small boat with two men on board, resulting in one of the men drowning.

Cindy Waldron, 46

29/05/2016

Thornton Beach, Cape Tribulation, QLD

Two women, aged 46 and 47, were swimming at Thornton Beach at night when a Saltwater Crocodile attacked and killed the 46-year-old.

Unknown male, 47

19/01/2017

Cahills Crossing, NT

20/03/2017

Ocean Shore Beach, QLD

10/10/2017

Mowbray River, Port Douglas, QLD

Warren Hughes, 35

Anne Cameron, 79

Went missing on October 10. Human remains were recovered from a crocodile not far from where she was last seen.

12/10/2018

near Gan Gan, East Arnhem Land, NT

Unknown female

Killed while fishing with family.

Andrew Heard, 69

11/02/2021

Hinchinbrook Island, QLD

Reported missing on 11 February. Human remains were later recovered from a crocodile in the area of his disappearance.

29/04/2023

Lakefield National Park, QLD

Kevin Darmody, 65

Unknown male, 16

04/2024

Saibai Island, QLD

Body Recovered 28 April.

Croc 5.jpg

Fast Figures

Deaths by State (1867- )

Northern Territory

32

Queensland

51

Western Australia

13

Deaths by Decade (1970's- )

1970's

1980's

1990's

2000's

2010's

2020's

Total deaths since 1867

2

8

3

9

16

3

97

Fast Figures

Page created by Tom Collett 2018-

bottom of page