14-Year-Old Boy Mauled by Crocodile While Fishing in Waist-Deep Water Sustains Torso and Leg Injuries

A 14-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being attacked by a crocodile at Myall Beach in Queensland, Australia.

The incident occurred around 3:50 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, while the teenager was fishing in thigh-high water, according to reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Sky News Australia, and The Guardian. A spokesperson from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) confirmed that the boy had been wading in shallow water when the animal struck.

A Queensland Ambulance Service representative said the teen sustained injuries to his torso and leg, per ABC.

After the attack, locals and nurses rushed to help, taking the boy to the nearby PKs Jungle Village accommodation, where first aid was administered. Manager Harry Hartley told ABC, “People came out of the rainforest to help. The Cape community came together.”

The teenager was later airlifted to Cairns Hospital, where he remains in stable condition, according to a Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service spokesperson who spoke with Sky News Australia.

The boy had been fishing with two others in waist-deep water at the time of the attack, per The Cairns Post, cited by Sky News Australia.

PKs Jungle Village confirmed that bystanders and locals carried the injured boy from the beach to their property, where he received medical assistance until paramedics arrived. “He was in our care until any paramedics could arrive,” a spokesperson said. “His 14-year-old friend was also taken care of — he was in the water with him during the incident.”

“All the staff did an amazing job looking after him,” the spokesperson added. “PKs is the heart of Cape Tribulation. Normally we’re entertaining locals, tourists, families, and adventurers — but this occasion was very different.”

They noted that the boy was fortunate the attack happened so close to PKs’ beachfront property. “There is a boardwalk linking the beach directly to PKs, so there wasn’t far to go,” the spokesperson explained.

Following the attack, DETSI officers searched for crocodiles in the area but found none, according to The Guardian. The department confirmed the boy’s wounds were “consistent with a crocodile attack.”

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service officials continue to investigate the incident, ABC reported.

Four crocodiles have been sighted in the Cape Tribulation area so far this month, with one sighting on Wednesday currently under review.

“Our thoughts are with the young person who has been impacted,” said Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Natassia Wheeler, in a statement to The Guardian.