Qld: Croc sighting fails to produce a result

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2003
Qld: Croc sighting fails to produce a result

DARWIN, December 29 AAP - Hopes were dashed again today when searchers hunting for
the body of a man taken by a crocodile failed to find any trace of him.

Police spokesman John McCourt said there had a sighting late yesterday of a crocodile
in a stretch of the Finniss River, about 80km south-west of Darwin, near where 22-year-old
Brett Mann was taken on Sunday last week.

But Mr McCourt said a closer examination of the area today had revealed neither the
body of Mr Mann nor the crocodile.

"We sighted the crocodile but we haven't seen it since then," Mr McCourt said.

A search party of police officers from the Tactical Response Group (TRG), wildlife
rangers and the marine and fisheries department will resume the search tomorrow, he said.

After Mr Mann was taken by the saltwater crocodile, his two friends clung to a tree
for 22 hours while the reptile menaced them below.

They were eventually winched to safety by a rescue chopper.

AAP rad/jv/jlw

KEYWORD: CROCODILE NIGHTLEAD

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