A crocodile attack claims the life of 26-year old Sean Cole last Saturday, after his body was recovered 5:30AM Monday 200 meters from where he was attacked.
Before the attack of the 16-foot crocodile, Sean Cole was attending a friend's 30th birthday party in the Wilderness Retreat, situated between Kakadu National Park and Darwin last Saturday. Cole, along with another friend decided to take a dip and swim across the 180-meter wide Mary River- which is widely known for housing adult crocodiles.
"The Mary River is known worldwide to have the greatest saturation of adult saltwater crocodiles in the world. You don't swim in the Mary River," Senior Sergeant Geoff Bahnert shares. The two were already on their way to the shore when Cole was taken upon the jaws of the crocodile- a horrific sight witnessed by a number of the party attendees. "Several of the group in the party witnessed the male being taken in the jaws of the croc for a period of time, and then he was out of sight," Bahnert states.
As to how the two decided to swim in a crocodile-infested river, authorities believed that alcohol played a part. One of the workers from the Mary River Wilderness Retreat says that Sean and his mate ignored the warnings of not swimming in the river. After being attacked by the crocodile and disappearing, it took days for the team to recover Cole's body. Authorities have since shot 4 crocs, one surfacing beside the body of the 26-year old, which was believed to be the one responsible for the crocodile attack.
Cole was paid tribute his friends through various posts on his Facebook. "Such a great outgoing guy," Kimberly Harding wrote while Fiona Clark posted ""Always a big smile".
Crocodiles have long inhabited the Northern Territory of Australia since the early 70's, with them growing as large as 23 feet and weighing over a ton.
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