MP Warren Entsch says crocodile attack was ‘human stupidity’

MP Warren Entsch blames “human stupidity” for the recent crocodile attack. A 46-year-old woman was apparently attacked by a crocodile during a night swim with a friend at the Thornton Beach near Cairns on Sunday.

The unnamed woman from NSW was swimming with a friend about 10:30 p.m. when they were attacked by a croc. Senior Constable Russell Parker told the ABC that the woman was waist-deep when she was taken by the aquatic reptile. Her friend survived.

“It’s certainly very, very concerning at this stage and we would hold grave fears for the welfare of the woman,” he said. “Her 47-year-old friend tried to grab her and drag her to safety and she just wasn’t able to do that. It would be very, very distressing for her.”

Leichhardt MP Entsch wasn’t as sympathetic, though. He described the incident as tragic but avoidable.

“You can’t legislate against human stupidity,” he said on Monday (via Sydney Morning Herald). “This is a tragedy but it was avoidable. There are warning signs everywhere up there.”

He added that the women would have seen the warning signs throughout the Daintree region. “You can only get there by ferry, and there are signs there saying watch out for the bloody crocodiles.”

Entsch feared the croc attack on the women might spark a reactive debate on how to manage crocodiles. He reminded, though, that the women were attacked inside a national park where visitors were thoroughly warned about the dangers.

“People have to have some level of responsibility for their own actions,” he said.

The search for the missing woman is still on. A rescue helicopter was used to locate the woman using thermal imaging equipment. However, the search was unsuccessful.

Local resident Lee Randall said there a large male croc, probably about four to five metres, was recently spotted in the area. The last fatal croc attack was in 2009 when 5-year-old Jeremy Doble was taken from the banks of the Daintree River near his home.