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Woman with dementia feared taken by crocodile in Queensland Human remains found after suspected crocodile attack in Queensland
(about 9 hours later)
Forensic testing is being conducted on “biological matter” found near clothing and a walking stick after a dementia sufferer went missing from a far north Queensland nursing home. Forensic testing is being conducted on remains found near clothing and a walking stick after a dementia sufferer went missing from a far north Queensland nursing home.
Anne Cameron, 79, was last seen near a nursing home at Craiglie, Port Douglas, on Tuesday afternoon. Police fear Cameron, who only been at the facility for a few weeks, may have been taken by a crocodile after becoming disoriented when she wandered into a dense area of bushland. Acting Inspector Ed Lukin confirmed on Friday the remains found at a Craiglie Creek in Port Douglas late on Thursday were human and that it was “highly likely” they were of missing woman Anne Cameron.
Lukin said: “We strongly suspect now that there has been involvement of a crocodile attack given the location of those items and the human remains located close to a watercourse.”
Cameron, 79, was last seen near a nursing home at Craiglie, Port Douglas, on Tuesday afternoon. Police fear Cameron, who only been at the facility for a few weeks, was taken by a crocodile after becoming disoriented when she wandered into a dense area of bushland.
Clothes and a walking stick with Cameron’s name on it were discovered on Thursday at the end of Four Mile Beach.Clothes and a walking stick with Cameron’s name on it were discovered on Thursday at the end of Four Mile Beach.
“We have also located some biological matter which we believe to be human remains and these are being tested in Cairns,” Acting Inspector Ed Lukin said on Thursday. Officers from the state Department of Environment and Heritage Protection have been using boats and helicopters to search for any crocodiles in the area and the search is set to continue into the night.
“We continue to search the area in the hope of finding her alive [but] because of the proximity of these items near the creek bank, we cannot rule out the possibility of a crocodile attack. Family have been notified and have asked for their privacy.” The department’s wildlife director, Michael Joyce, said he was confident his team would get a result and asked the community to report “abnormal” crocodile behaviour.
Officers from the state Department of Environment and Heritage Protection have been searching for any crocodiles in the area. The results of the forensic tests are likely to be ready on Friday. Joyce said the crocodile “may show a level of boldness that is different from other crocodiles in the river”.
On Facebook, Cameron’s granddaughter Isabella Eggins thanked those who helped in the search. “It is my deep regret to inform you that following an extensive search and the discovery of certain items as a result of that search, we have the firm belief that my nan Anne Cameron has passed away in tragic circumstances,” Eggins wrote. “She will be missed and will always be loved by her family.”