4m crocodile kills Briton
2005-09-26 10:01
Sydney - A British man is believed to have been killed by a large saltwater crocodile while snorkelling off a remote island in northern Australia, police said on Monday.
Mines supervisor Russell Harris, 37, went missing off Picnic Beach on Groote Eylandt on Saturday and his body was found in a river on Sunday 1.5km away.
Police spokesperson Stephen Pfitzner told ABC radio a 4m crocodile spotted in the area was believed to have been responsible for the man's death.
"Police strongly suspect that's what has occurred. There are a number of injuries on the deceased and also there was a crocodile sighted very close to where the deceased was located," he said.
Mining group BHP Billiton said Harris was a technical services superintendent at its Gemco mine on the island and had been with the company for five months.
Police said Harris had been snorkelling with another man while his American wife remained on the beach. He was last seen about 20m from shore, and the alarm was raised when he failed to return to the beach.
- AFP