A 36 year old man went missing after jumping into the croc-infested Fitzroy river while trying to run away from police. On October 19, while police chased after him in Rockhampton, officers saw the man jump into the Fitzroy river. The man’s identity has not been released yet. Police boats and helicopters were used in the search, but it ended in failure.
“Police and emergency services commenced a wide-ranging surface and aerial search involving multiple aircraft and vessels, however, have so far failed to locate the missing man,” the police stated.
Man Jumps Into Croc-Infested Fitzroy River
Before falling into the croc-infested Fitzroy river, he was being pursued down East Street and Victoria Place by police after fleeing from them as they attempted to serve an arrest warrant at a residence on East Street.
Chief Inspector Mark Burgess claims that when police pursued the man to the bank of the croc-infested Fitzroy river, they made an effort to “verbally negotiate with the missing person to return to the bank, certainly for his own safety. The missing person was well in the water by the time our officers got to the bank,” he stated.
Burgess claimed that the individual reportedly grew “distressed” at one point when the cops were conversing with him. The man then submerged and didn’t seem to rise again.
Burgess described the incident as follows: “My understanding is that he’s yelled out ‘help’, or words of that nature, and has gone underwater. That would be a sign of some sort of event or distress.
According to the officers, unfortunately, no sign of that person has appeared again. Burgess stated that despite the fact that the area is home to a “number of hazards,” police have not ruled out the possibility that the man “may have made it to land.” He stated that there are “grave fears” for the safety of the man, who has been missing.
A dive team, the NSW State Emergency Service, police, and CQ Rescue helicopter crews are among the groups searching for the man. According to reports, the Kawana native is about 187 cm tall, lean-built, and has brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen in a grey shirt and dark shorts.
Croc-Infested Fitzroy River
Both bull sharks and crocodiles have been spotted in the Fitzroy River. In July, a crocodile as large as 4.5 metres was taken out of the river, and on the night of the incident, officers were looking for the man when they came across at least one of the reptiles.
Although Burgess has refrained from speculating about the man’s fate, he did state that police would continue searching unless it was “absolutely clear that it is futile.” “We’ll continue to hold out hope and our priority is locating the missing person,” he said.
Senior Wildlife Officer Josh Morris said at the time wildlife officers had investigated 32 crocodile sightings in the region.
According to a survey he conducted last year, John Lever, owner of the nearby Koorana Crocodile Farm, estimated that eight crocodiles reside in the area. They are all the most dangerous large saltwater crocodiles in the entire world. That is why it is known as croc-infested Fitzroy river.
They would have been feeding by six o’clock because they are most active between dusk and dawn. The animals are currently in the mating season, which means they are establishing territories and defending their partners, potentially making them more dangerous.
“The chances are pretty slim of being eaten straight away or attacked, even,” he said.
“There’s a lot of water in the Fitzroy and there’s a lot of water’s edge down the banks, and there’s very few crocodiles in that space, but you could be unlucky.”
Search process is still on-going to find the man from the croc-infested Fitzroy river
