Dementia gran ‘wandered off and died in croc attack’
AN ELDERLY woman suffering with dementia is “highly likely” to have been eaten by a crocodile after wandering from her nursing home.
Police were last night still hunting for Anne Cameron, 79, after she went missing on Tuesday.
But officers in Queensland, Australia, yesterday confirmed they had found her clothes, walking stick and human remains near a crocodileinfested creek.
Inspector Ed Lukin said: “We strongly suspect [it is her] now there has been a crocodile attack given the location of those items and the human remains…close to a watercourse.”
He admitted it was “highly likely” Ms Cameron was dead because there were no other reports of a missing person in the area.
Earlier, her granddaughter Isabella Eggins had made an emotional appeal for help to find her, saying: “She has dementia – it’s early stages but it’s to the point where she could turn one corner and lose her memory and forget where she is.”
Ms Cameron recently moved to the specialist nursing home outside Port Douglas, near Cairns, from Canberra in New South Wales and is understood to have walked into dense terrain just over a mile from the facility. Last night Ms Eggins posted on social media that the family “have the firm belief that my nan has passed away in tragic circumstances”.
Firefighters had joined rescue helicopters in the search.
Wildlife experts said they are confident they will trap the killer croc and admitted they may kill the reptile.
Government wildlife director Michael Joyce said the crocodile “may show a level of boldness that is different from others in the river”.
He added: “I think we’ll result we need.” get the