A fisherman is feared dead in a suspected crocodile attack after screams and splashing were heard by witnesses who later said ‘his thongs were left on the bank’.
Kevin Darmody, 65, was fishing on the banks of the Kennedy River at Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park about 340km north west of Cairns in remote Far North Queensland at around 3.30pm on Saturday when campers heard screams and splashing.
It is feared he was taken by a large crocodile and emergency services are still desperately hunting for his suspected remains.
Kevin Darmody, 65, was fishing on the banks of the Kennedy River at Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park about 340km north west of Cairns at around 3.30pm on Saturday when campers heard screams and splashing
Authorities have recommenced the search for a 65-year-old man who is believed to have been taken by a crocodile (stock image) while fishing in remote Far North Queensland
Mr Darmody, a publican in the rural town of Laura – about 75km from where he disappeared – was a keen angler who frequently documented his fishing trips on social media.
He regularly posed on the banks of rivers with barramundi and other huge fish.
His most recent post, dated from 2015, was a series of pictures of a crocodile mauling what looks like a smaller, juvenile crocodile in a stretch of river he said was a friend’s favourite fishing hole.
Friends and acquaintances revealed that Mr Darmody, who was also known as ‘Stumpy’, had a deep knowledge of fishing in dangerous waters and was aware of the risks.
‘He wasn’t a tourist or a visitor to Cape York, he is or was a local he knew the dangers, just bloody bad luck – in a split second you can be taken by a croc,’ wrote one.
Mr Darmody (pictured) was a keen angler who regularly documented his fishing trips on social media
His most recent Facebook post (pictured) was a series of pictures of a crocodile mauling what looks like a smaller, juvenile crocodile in a stretch of river he said was a friend’s favourite fishing hole
Tributes flowed for the missing publican, who ran the Peninsula Hotel in Laura, with some describing him as a ‘bloody top bloke’ and a ‘legend’
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Bart Harrison, from Cooktown, said his friend was nearby when Mr Darmody disappeared.
‘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 told The Cairns Post.
‘He was standing right there fishing a few minutes earlier, then he was gone, his thongs were left on the bank,’ he added.
‘He had lived up here since I was a kid, been at the pub a long time, went fishing a lot. He knew the river pretty well, it really is sad.
Mr Harrison said it was common to see ‘a heap of big crocs’ in the area.
‘Close encounters are really common, they’re everywhere this time of year… they are breeding and get territorial,’ he said.
Queensland police said the search recommenced at first light on Sunday morning, with help from the State Emergency Service.
A Rescue 510 helicopter is also aiding the search and rescue operation, along with wildlife officers from the DES.
Police released this image of the search area where Mr Darmody was last seen alive
Large crocodiles are frequently seen in the area, according to a government website detailing the campground.
The Department says both estuarine and freshwater crocodiles can ‘inhabit the rivers, creeks swamps, wetlands, waterholes and along beaches’ of the national park.
The DES said it was important that all ‘crocodile sightings are reported in a timely manner,’ and said they investigated all crocodile sightings received.
‘Rinyirru National Park is known croc country and known to contain large crocodiles,’ the statement said.
