THE AGE (Melbourne, Australia) 07 April 06 Croc hunt on in flooded Katherine (Lindsay Murdoch)
One of three boys who climbed a tree to escape rising floods in the Northern Territory has been attacked by a crocodile.
A ranger is on the hunt for dangerous saltwater crocodiles, which may have swum into the flooded Northern Territory town of Katherine.
The teenagers - residents of the flooded Northern Territory town of Katherine - yelled for five hours to attract the attention of rescuers, when a freshwater crocodile bit one of them on his back.
Police said the boy was treated for minor lacerations after Tactical Response Section officers pulled the teenagers to safety in an inflatable boat.
"This is The (Northern) Territory. You have to expect this kind of incident," a policeman said.
One of the rescuers said the boy "wasn't overly distressed".
Freshwater crocodiles will attack humans but are not considered dangerous, unlike the notorious salt-water variety.
Seven hundred residents of Katherine, the NTs third biggest town, 300 kilometres south of Darwin, are expected to return to their homes to start cleaning up tomorrow.
Fast-rising floods had forced their evacuation on Thursday after monsoon rain had brought the Katherine River almost to the level of a disastrous flood in 1998 that left four dead and 2,000 homeless.
Some houses near the river north of the town were inundated to the level of their roofs and waist-deep water was still flowing through the central business district yesterday afternoon.
Katherine Hospital, evacuated on Wednesday night, is not expected to re-open before next week, and 27 patients are being cared for at an RAAF base at nearby Tindal.
Shops and businesses in Katherine remained closed and shuttered yesterday as the muddy water started to recede.
The town had been cut off by the floodwaters for 24 hours.
Katherine Mayor Ann Shepherd said: "We know our role exactly - we have to think about recovery now."
Parks and Wildlife ranger Patrick Carmody said he expected some crocodiles may have moved into the town after it was swamped by floodwaters.
Several wallabies had also been drowned in the flood, although many other animals were safe because they were earlier moved to higher ground, he said.
A freshwater crocodile yesterday attacked a teenage boy trapped in a tree by the floods, but he suffered only minor injuries.
"(Crocodiles) are always a concern, and a likely possibility," Mr Carmody said.
"We know that they are here in the normal time, so it's quite a distinct possibility."
He planned to harpoon or shoot any freshwater crocodiles and any larger, more dangerous saltwater crocodiles he found.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/04/07/1143916688382.html
HERALD SUN (Melbourne, Australia) 07 April 06 Crocodile attacks flood victim
A freshwater crocodile has attacked a teenage boy who spent an afternoon stranded in a tree by floodwaters at Katherine in the Northern Territory.
The crocodile bit the 16-year-old boy as he and two others desperately called for help to escape the rising waters.
The boys were plucked from the tree late last night, after spending the whole afternoon stranded.
The teenager was treated for minor cuts, but did not require further treatment.
The freshwater crocodile will attack humans, but is not considered as dangerous as the saltwater crocodile.
"The boys told police they had been stuck in the tree for most of the afternoon yelling for assistance, but to no avail," police said.
Northern Territory Tactical Response Section officers rescued the three yesterday, ferrying them to safety in an inflatable boat.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18739883%5E661,00.html
