1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,960
Speaker 1: We know that the remote Northern Territory community of Plumpa

2
00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:07,400
Speaker 1: is reeling following the devastating discovery of remains believed to

3
00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,160
Speaker 1: belong to a young girl who was taken by a crocodile.

4
00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,760
Speaker 1: The twelve year old girl was at Mango Creek with

5
00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,640
Speaker 1: her family with her when her mother raised concerns, well

6
00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,000
Speaker 1: the alarm, I think you'd have to say, to the

7
00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,320
Speaker 1: local clinic. We're told that her little one had been

8
00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,840
Speaker 1: attacked by a crocodile on Tuesday. Now an extensive land,

9
00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,360
Speaker 1: air and water search got under way. Joining me on

10
00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,200
Speaker 1: the line right now is Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson, who

11
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,680
Speaker 1: has been heading things up out there. Good morning to

12
00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,760
Speaker 1: your senior Sergeant Gibson. Good morning, Katie, Thanks so much

13
00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,400
Speaker 1: for your time this morning. Erica, it is absolutely terrible news.

14
00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:50,160
Speaker 1: How is the family and the community feeling at this point, Katie,

15
00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:51,040
Speaker 1: As you said, it is.

16
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,040
Speaker 2: The most tragic situation that we've had to deal with,

17
00:00:54,720 --> 00:01:00,920
Speaker 2: the family incredibly distressed and very sad, as the entire community.

18
00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,640
Speaker 2: So they will take a significant period of time to

19
00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,199
Speaker 2: mourn the loss of this young child.

20
00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,000
Speaker 1: Eric, of the understanding, and please correct me if I'm wrong. Initially,

21
00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,360
Speaker 1: you know, the media had sort of thought that she

22
00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:17,840
Speaker 1: was swimming with her family, but is it correct that

23
00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:19,679
Speaker 1: she was fishing with her family.

24
00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:23,679
Speaker 2: Out there, Kadid information we have is that she was

25
00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,040
Speaker 2: in the water with other people when she was taken

26
00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:31,440
Speaker 2: and notified as missing. That was the information that we

27
00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,720
Speaker 2: received and we responded accordingly.

28
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,120
Speaker 1: Can you talk me through the search efforts and you

29
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,600
Speaker 1: know the work that has been done over the recent days.

30
00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:48,320
Speaker 2: If I can. The information was received at about five

31
00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:52,520
Speaker 2: point thirty five pm on Tuesday. As a result of

32
00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:58,200
Speaker 2: that information, resources were immediately deployed to Mango Creek and

33
00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:04,440
Speaker 2: those resources involved for members initially from what Air and Pepperminardi.

34
00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,840
Speaker 2: Based on the information they received, a search and rescue

35
00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:15,280
Speaker 2: team from Darwin were also dispatched to that area with

36
00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,200
Speaker 2: those members in place. With the assistance with the local

37
00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:27,240
Speaker 2: Pharma rangers, searchers commenced immediately. Crocodiles were seen in the

38
00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:32,240
Speaker 2: waterway and on the during during that initial search phase,

39
00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:39,840
Speaker 2: two crocodiles were dispatched or or shot by the Crocodile

40
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:45,600
Speaker 2: Management team with the consent of the traditional owners. The

41
00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:51,360
Speaker 2: search continued, both using marine assets, which is a police vessel,

42
00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:57,919
Speaker 2: A helicopter was also used for overhead aerial searches, and

43
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:02,919
Speaker 2: foot searches of the river banks were conducted, usually using

44
00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,680
Speaker 2: those specialist resources. It was also incredible that the community,

45
00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,239
Speaker 2: whilst devastated at the series of events that was unfolding,

46
00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,800
Speaker 2: they also assisted greatly with searches of the river bank

47
00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,280
Speaker 2: and a community member was also used in the helicopter

48
00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:25,040
Speaker 2: to assist with the search of the waterway. So those

49
00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:35,880
Speaker 2: activities continued without ceasing until on Thursday morning. Sorry Thursday morning,

50
00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:42,560
Speaker 2: the discovery of the remains of the child were believed

51
00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,960
Speaker 2: to be located or were located in the Billabomb area

52
00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,200
Speaker 2: of the waterway Erica.

53
00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,920
Speaker 1: What was that moment like for those that were searching,

54
00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:55,240
Speaker 1: It was.

55
00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:02,360
Speaker 2: Extremely confronting, but there was a sense of relief I

56
00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,360
Speaker 2: guess that what they were looking for had been found.

57
00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:12,720
Speaker 2: Extremely distressing for the members involved, but it was some

58
00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,360
Speaker 2: element of closure for what we were doing.

59
00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:20,080
Speaker 1: Honestly, I can't even begin to imagine how everybody involved

60
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,479
Speaker 1: must be feeling at this point in time. That little

61
00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,760
Speaker 1: girl's family, you know, my little girls a year older

62
00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,240
Speaker 1: than that, can't I can't even begin to imagine the

63
00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:30,520
Speaker 1: heartbreak that they must be feeling. But for all of

64
00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:35,640
Speaker 1: you guys, you know, like police officers in community are

65
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,000
Speaker 1: truly part of the community, and for all of you

66
00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:43,120
Speaker 1: involved in the search and in a recovery effort, it

67
00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,880
Speaker 1: must be really such a tough thing to be part of.

68
00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:54,159
Speaker 2: Absolutely it was particularly confronting. But the dedication and resilience

69
00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:58,040
Speaker 2: of all the members at the frontline responding members, including

70
00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:02,720
Speaker 2: the specialist resources from search and rescue and TRG, it

71
00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,480
Speaker 2: was a remarkable effort on everyone's part to respond the

72
00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:07,080
Speaker 2: way they did.

73
00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,039
Speaker 1: Erica, in terms of you'd said that two crocodiles did

74
00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,880
Speaker 1: have to be shot throughout the week, is it understood

75
00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,200
Speaker 1: that they were either of them the crocodiles involved in

76
00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:21,240
Speaker 1: taking the little girl.

77
00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:27,719
Speaker 2: So the crocodiles were shot and one was found floating

78
00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:33,560
Speaker 2: last night. That crocodile was retrieved and dissected. However, there

79
00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:39,520
Speaker 2: were there was nothing located within that that crocodile, So continued.

80
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,960
Speaker 2: Kroc watching on the river will, content on the waterway

81
00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,520
Speaker 2: will continue, and traps have been set.

82
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,839
Speaker 1: Okay, so it sounds as though things do sort of

83
00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:56,320
Speaker 1: continue today in terms of trying to locate the responsible crocodile.

84
00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,000
Speaker 2: That's exactly correct. That that will continue today.

85
00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, Erica, I know well from what I can gather,

86
00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:10,799
Speaker 1: the last crocodile attack incident was back in twenty eighteen. Again,

87
00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,920
Speaker 1: correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, what is your

88
00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:22,039
Speaker 1: message to people this morning following such a terrible tragedy, Katie, People.

89
00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,599
Speaker 2: Just have to remember that waterways in the Northern Territory

90
00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:29,520
Speaker 2: are the habitat of crocodiles. It is an absolute reminder

91
00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:34,919
Speaker 2: to everyone that's swimming in any territory. Waterway is without

92
00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,000
Speaker 2: is with risk, and they need to be very mindful

93
00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,600
Speaker 2: that crocodiles inhabit waterways in the territory.

94
00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:44,960
Speaker 1: Erica, I really appreciate your time this morning. I cannot

95
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,520
Speaker 1: imagine it must be. It's been a difficult week. I

96
00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:52,799
Speaker 1: would imagine for you, for everybody out there. My heart

97
00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,200
Speaker 1: goes out to the family of this little girl, to

98
00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:59,240
Speaker 1: the whole community, and you know, thank you, and to

99
00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:03,320
Speaker 1: the other office and to everybody involved in the search

100
00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,720
Speaker 1: and also recovery. If it's like I say, it'd be

101
00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,640
Speaker 1: such a difficult, difficult job. But I really appreciate you

102
00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,920
Speaker 1: speaking to us this morning as well. Thanks Katie, thank you.

103
00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,119
Speaker 1: I appreciate your time