UPDATED: Tuesday 8.30am

THE search for missing woman Cindy Waldron, who was snatched by a crocodile in the Daintree National Park on Sunday night, has resumed this morning.

An air, land and sea search has ramped up after failing to find any trace of the 46-year-old photographer yesterday, who is from New Zealand but has been living in the Blue Mountains in NSW.

Waldron had been visiting Cape Tribulation with friend and fellow New Zealander Leeann Mitchell - who lives in Cairns - before tragedy struck when the pair decided to enter the water late at night at Thornton Beach.

There are reports Waldron was visiting the region to celebrate the end of her friend’s cancer treatment, and the pair were holding hands as they entered known croc infested waters.

Waldron screamed for help as she was taken by a crocodile with Mitchell trying desperately to retrieve her before she went under.

Crocodile and wildlife experts from Townsville have flown in to join the search today, which is believed to be centralising around finding the crocodile which has possibly entered the beach from a nearby estuary known as Coopers Creek.

A local operator offers daily crocodile tours up the same estuary, which is not far from where Waldron was last seen.

Mitchell remains in Mossman Hospital and has been badly traumatised by the ordeal. She also suffered a graze caused by the croc as she tried to save her friend.

It comes after locals reported seeing a five-metre crocodile lurking around Thornton Beach in the days leading up to the attack, which occurred around 10.30pm on Sunday night.

UPDATED: Monday 8.00pm

THE woman feared dead after a croc attack at Thornton Beach has been identified as 46-year-old Cindy Waldron from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.

Her friend, 47-year-old Leeann Mitchell from New Zealand, remains in Mossman Hospital and is being treated for shock and scratches sustained after trying to pull her friend from the croc near the secluded beach in the Daintree Rainforest.

“The community is shocked and saddened by this tragedy,” Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu, who lives in the Daintree, told AAP.

“We’ve been through this before and our hearts go out to this woman’s family and we feel very much for her friend, who was with her at the time.”

EARLIER:

THE friend of a woman feared dead after being taken by a crocodile in the Daintree National Park will remain in Mossman Hospital overnight.

Leeann Mitchel, a 47-year-old from New Zealand, is being treated for shock and scratches to her arm believed to have been caused when she tried to rescue her friend - a 47-year-old Cindy Waldron from Lithgow, NSW - from the clutches of the animal on Thornton Beach last night.

"She is in a stable condition and will remain at Mossman Hospital for the night for observation," a spokesperson from Cairns Hospital media said this afternoon.

"We can't say a great deal other than what has already been reported."

Locals at CJ's Bar and Cafe at Thornton Beach today - which has turned into a makeshift control centre for the search - said a five-metre crocodile was known to the area and had been seen in recent days.

"To be honest there's been quite a few (crocs) popping up along that beach," one local woman said, who preferred to remain anonymous.

"There is one that's at least five-metres hanging around, most likely it has come up from Cooper Creek. It's a great tragedy what has happened."

It's believed the pair were enjoying a walk under the stars at 10.30pm on Sunday night on Thornton Beach, near Cape Tribulation, before they fatefully decided to enter the water.

A crocodile has taken one of the women while her friend tried to drag her to safety. She has then ran to raise the alarm.

A police helicopter began searching the area last night after 11pm and efforts have intensified today using air, land and sea.

The search will continue for the missing woman at first light tomorrow morning if nothing has been found before dawn.

More to come…

EARLIER:

AIR, land and sea searches continue for a missing woman, 46, believed to have been taken by a crocodile last night at Thornton Beach.

Two SES boats, more than 30 ground personal, police vehicles and a helicopter are scouring the shoreline at the site about 7km north of the Daintree township of Cow Bay.

Acting Inspector Ed Lukin of the Cairns Country Patrol Services said the Department of Environment and Heritage were on site at Thornton Beach assisting in locating the crocodile believed to have taken the women while she was swimming with her childhood friend late last night.

"They are assisting in identifying any crocodiles that may be of interest to us," Lukin said.

"We are yet to confirm a croc attack but we are certainly investigating that avenue really thoroughly.

"Croc behaviour after such an incident is central to the search operation in terms of where they are placed, whether they are sunning themselves or swimming in certain areas, so we have people assisting us in that regard.

"There are a  number of crocodiles in this area so nothing is being ruled out at this stage."

The search is also focusing on nearby Cooper Creek, the most likely place a crocodile would have come from in such an incident.

"There is not a whole lot of area to cover, we continue to monitor the coast line," Lukin said.

"If a croc is involved in this attack it is likely it has come from Cooper Creek, but there are many crocs all through this area."

Emergency service people will continue to search until dark today before resuming in the morning if needed.

The victim's friend is said to be in shock following the incident. Lukin said the pair had been waist-deep in water around 10.30pm last night when the crocodile has likely struck.

"We can confirm that they were in the water up to their hips, whether they were swimming or the exact nature of their activity I don't know, but they were certainly in the water at night," he said.

"Obviously she (victim's friend) is very distressed, its hard to report on her condition. It is believed the two are school friends."

Police said they were still yet to find anything of interest in the search.

more to come.....

BREAKING: Monday 8:25am

A WOMAN is feared dead after being taken by a crocodile in the Daintree National Park last night.

The woman, 46, was swimming in waist-deep water with a friend at Thornton Beach - 72km north of Port Douglas - when she was taken by a crocodile at 10.30pm.

The friend tried to rescue her from the crocodile but was unsuccessful. Emergency services and a rescue helicopter were searching the area last night but there is still no sign of the woman.

The victim’s friend, 47, has been taken to Mossman Hospital to be treated for shock. They are both believed to be visitors to the area.

The last fatal crocodile attack in the Daintree was in 2009, when a five-year-old was taken in swamp near the Daintree River.

More to come…