A determined lookup is below way in northern Australia for a boy feared to have been taken by a crocodile.

The 12-year-aged was very last witnessed all around dusk on Tuesday, swimming close to the remote city of Palumpa – about a 7-hour drive south west of Darwin in the Northern Territory (NT).

Police say a expert search and rescue staff has been deployed immediately after “original reviews said the kid experienced been attacked by a crocodile”.

The NT is residence to an believed 100,000 saltwater crocodiles, much more than anyplace else in the planet, but attacks are unheard of.

Members of the community in Palumpa – home to only 364 people today – and neighborhood law enforcement began exploring for the boy or girl immediately soon after he vanished in Mango Creek close to 17:30 area time (08:00 GMT).

They have now been joined by further officers and the professional research and rescue workforce who are combing both equally land and water for signals of the boy.

An aerial lookup could also be launched, according to community media.

“Officers are currently seeking a huge part of the creek via boat and we thank [the] neighborhood for their ongoing guidance,” Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson explained in a assertion.

“Local officers are on scene and our thoughts are with the relatives and the local community.”