Hunt on for Port croc trap swimmers
INFAMOUS FOUR
DOUGLAS Shire Mayor Julia Leu wants the people photographed in a crocodile trap in Port Douglas found and prosecuted.
With the town still coming to grips with the death of Anne Cameron after she was taken by a crocodile in Craiglie Creek, Mayor Leu slammed the ‘appalling behavior’ of the now infamous four men.
“I was absolutely gobsmacked. I found it unbelievable that anyone could do such a dangerous and incredibly stupid thing,” Leu told Newsport.
“Particularly in the wake of the recent and very tragic death of Anne Cameron. It’s absolutely appalling.
“Behavior like this can really hit people hard and I hope these men are found and prosecuted.”
Images of the men sitting inside the crocodile trap have been beamed around the world. The trap was floating near the jetty between the Sugar Wharf and the Tin Shed restaurant in Dicksons Inlet.
It’s unknown exactly when the images were taken, although they were shared by a Facebook user on October 20 saying: “ Only way t (sic) check croc trap to ensure the live bait stays alive.”
Although this behaviour is rarely seen in the Douglas Shire, the foolhardy practice can sometimes surface in the Northern Territory.
The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has asked the public for information and launched an investigation into the incident.
People caught interfering with crocodile traps face fines of more than $15,000.
“The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection condemns in the strongest possible terms the stupid and reckless interference with crocodile traps,” a spokesperson said.
“These traps are specifically designed to attract crocodiles and they are deployed in places where a problem crocodile is known to be present.”
Leu said she was angry the four ‘idiots’ were willing to put lives at risk for the sake of a cheap laugh.
“Not only have they put themselves in danger, but they’ve also put potentially anyone who may have been forced into a situation of attempting to rescue them,” she said.
“We’ve had so many tragic situations in the last two weeks in Far North Queensland, our emergency services do not need to be called away from other very important things to possibly try and rescue these grown men.
“They’ve really done an incredible stupid thing.”
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
* Readers are encouraged to use their full details below to ensure comment legitimacy. Comments are the opinions of readers and do not represent the views of Newsport or its staff. Comments containing unlawful, obscene, defamatory or abusive material will not be published.
