‘Do you have a death wish?’: Croc message still not getting through
‘Do you have a death wish?’: Croc message still not getting through
Published Thursday 30 June 2016
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TWO local fishermen have been left gob smacked by the brazen lack of care shown by two tourists in Port Douglas crocodile country.
Kent Reynolds and a friend were fishing several hundred metres up the Magazine Island estuary entrance in a feeder creek when they came across two people in an inflatable boat more suited to a resort swimming pool.
It comes just days after a chilling image emerged of a family wading in water next to mangroves near Kewarra Beach, despite countless warnings of crocs being sighted at the location.
Barely a month has passed since NSW photographer Cindy Waldron was snatched by a crocodile while swimming at Thornton Beach near Cape Tribulation, and Reynolds believes it’s clear the message isn’t getting through.
“We heard some voices and my mate jokingly said that it was probably a couple of backpackers in an inflatable kayak. Sure enough, it was.” Reynolds recalled.
“I just couldn’t believe it and asked them if they were on a death wish? They didn’t say much and we just reminded them there were saltwater crocs everywhere in these waters.
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“We told them to paddle straight back and followed them in our boat until they reached the end of the estuary, and they started to make their way towards The Combined Club.
“Clearly the message is not sinking in and more needs to be done”
Cairns resident Lindy Ross was left in similar bewilderment when she snapped an image of a young family in shallow water near mangroves at Kewarra Beach. She posted the image to social media sparking heated debate, just days after another video went viral of a crocodile lurking near the shoreline of the same beach (watch below).
"I absolutely cannot fathom the stupidity of some people," she wrote on social media.
"This is at the creek at Kewarra Beach. I could not believe what I was watching.
"On the bank down into the water there is a very large croc slide.
"I did warn the father that there are crocs and that there is a very large croc slide on the embankment which happened yesterday (Saturday). He stated and I quote 'no there isn't' and looked at me as if I were the stupid one."
Speaking to Newsport recently, wildlife expert Rebecca Lynch said tourists were being seduced by the beauty of our region and forgetting the danger of crocodiles.
She suggested more information be given to visitors as they arrive to their accommodation, while other readers believe international visitors be given information on their flight and forced to sign a waiver.