A mum was left terrified when she watched videos she took during a day out swimming with her young kids only to realise a huge three-metre beast had been in the water with them.
Alicia May, a mum of five, was enjoying an early morning swim with her children in Rollingstone Creek, a swimming basin near Townsville City in Queensland, Australia and captured underwater photos and videos of her children happily playing. But when she watched the footage after returning home she noticed a large shadow lurking underwater.
Alicia's friends initially laughed at the idea it could be a crocodile but the alarmed mum decided to show the clip to experts at the Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES) later that day anyway. After reviewing the footage, wildlife authorities confirmed that the sighting was indeed of a crocodile, and, shockingly, estimated the animal's length at around three metres.
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Alicia May, a mum of five, often goes swimming with her children (Alicia May)Alicia told ABC North Qld: "I was a little bit shocked that I saw something quite big on the video so I played it slowly, paused and zoomed in. You can see the two feet [and] you can see a tail at the end of it. I'm like, 'Wait … this actually looks like a crocodile'.
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"It's quite scary because we actually go swimming in a lot of creeks all the time. We go off hiking and stuff and have little adventures," Alicia said. "This has definitely scared me. I kind of feel irresponsible as a parent that I've still gone swimming, full-well knowing that it's a possibility, so it's definitely changed my thoughts on swimming in freshwater. A bit of a reality check for sure."
Alicia May was enjoying a swimming adventure with her children in Rollingstone Creek (Alicia May)Senior wildlife officer Tony Frisby said the reptile was a "sizeable" specimen. He noted: "This person, and anyone else who was swimming in that section of the river at the weekend can consider themselves quite lucky."
He added: "People need to be aware that crocodiles are mobile animals and can turn up anywhere in any river system. There was a lot of people swimming there. It could have actually got scared and sat on the bottom and could have moved out of there by now."
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An average male saltwater crocodile maybe 3-4m long (stock photo) (AFP via Getty Images)Male freshwater crocodiles can reach weights of up to 60kg but rarely grow more than 2.5m long, while an average male saltwater crocodile may be 3-4m long and weigh 200-300kg. The area where Alicia swam with her children is known as the "Croc Country" and is considered a typical crocodile habitat.
The Queensland Government warns that crocodiles can be found in freshwater and saltwater locations along the coast and up to hundreds of kilometres inland, including in rivers and creeks, swamps, lagoons, waterholes, beaches, oceans and offshore islands. Authorities warn that swimming or snorkelling in Croc Country puts people at risk of crocodile attack and that no waterway there can ever be considered crocodile-free. If someone decides to swim, authorities warn them to:
- Swim between the flags at patrolled beaches. Visit the Beachsafe website to locate patrolled beaches in your area.
- Only swim during the day. Crocodiles are most active at dawn, dusk or at night.
- Only swim in clear water where you can see the bottom. Crocodiles can attack in knee-deep water so wading can still be dangerous.
- Read and obey all crocodile warning signs.
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