Fourth crocodile attack in six months strikes Western Australia's Kimberley region

A 35-year-old fisherman became the fourth victim of a crocodile attack in Western Australia's Kimberley region in six months after treading on a saltwater crocodile while fishing in waist-deep water at Barred Creek, approximately 40 kilometres north of Broome, in late May 2026. The man was treated at Broome Hospital and subsequently discharged. Initial reports described the crocodile as approximately 3 metres in length, though this could not be confirmed by Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) officers who attended the scene. Despite deploying traps immediately after the incident, authorities were unable to locate the crocodile. This attack follows three other incidents in the region since January 2026, including a man attacked at La Djardarr Bay and another at a camping spot near Coulomb Point Nature Reserve. Barred Creek is a popular destination for tourists and residents engaging in fishing, mud crabbing, and four-wheel driving, and saltwater crocodiles are known to regularly inhabit the area's creek systems and mangroves.