A 46-year-old tourist was attacked by a crocodile while swimming at a beach in far north Queensland's Daintree National Park in Australia on Sunday evening.
The woman was swimming with a friend at Thornton Beach when she was taken by a crocodile around 10:30pm.
Her 47-year-old friend reportedly tried to pull the victim from the crocodile's jaws but couldn't save her. The friend is currently in hospital being treated for shock.
Neil Noble from the Queensland Ambulance Service told the ABC the pair "felt a nudge" before the 46-year-old woman "started to scream and then was dragged into the water".
"The whole of Cairns and up into the Cape is known for its large crocodiles," he said. "Certainly one has to be very careful around our waterways. Stay well away from the water when you can, especially when you can't see."
This morning Warren Entsch, federal member for Leichhardt in Queensland, called the event an avoidable tragedy.
The 46-year-old is yet to be found as police search the beach and Daintree River using rescue helicopters and thermal-imaging equipment.
Helicopter joins search for woman feared taken by crocodile at Thornton Beach #CapeTrib @abcnews @ABCFarNorth
Queensland Police told BuzzFeed News there has been no progress in the hunt so far.
There has not been a fatal crocodile attack in the Daintree area since 2009, when 5-year-old Jeremy Doble was taken from a swamp while trying to save a puppy from a crocodile.