A woman was left horrified after enjoying a swim in a stream and returning home to discover a dangerous predator lurking in the water in her video of the day.
The woman decided to take a dip in Rollingstone Creek, near Townsville in northern Queensland, on a hot weekend to cool off.
While in the water he took several underwater photographs and videos.
She then returned home and looked at the footage when she realized that a crocodile had been lurking just meters from where she had been swimming.
A woman had a close encounter with a crocodile (pictured) while taking a dip in a stream to cool off
The woman was swimming in Rollingstone Creek (pictured) near Townsville.
The terrifying discovery prompted the woman to report to Queensland Department of Environmental Science and Innovation (DESI) officials last Friday.
DESI senior wildlife officer Tony Frisby confirmed he had seen a crocodile.
“The person told us they had been swimming in a flotation device and taking underwater photos of the clear water below,” Frisby said.
“When he returned home and reviewed the photos, he saw what he thought was an alligator and did the right thing by filing a report.”
Frisby said swimmers visiting the creek should not assume that the reptiles will not be found in the freshwater portion of the rivers and streams.
“Crocodiles are very mobile and travel upstream in our rivers and streams to obtain fresh water and feed on animals that come down to the banks to drink,” he said.
“You never know what’s hiding in the waterways, and people really need to make sensible decisions when they’re around the water in Croc Country.”
Wildlife officers conducted a search of the creek and land surrounding the water using a drone in an effort to detect the creature.
The swimmer took several photos of her day in the water and saw the crocodile (pictured) when she looked at the photos after finishing swimming.
The agents did not find the reptile.
Frisby said crocodiles often travel upstream in search of food and fresh water.
The freshwater portion of Rollingstone Creek where the crocodile was seen is known as Zone E.
These zones mean that if a crocodile displays dangerous behavior, rangers will remove the reptile from the area.
Swimmers have been warned to take cover at all times and obey warning signs when visiting waterways that are known crocodile habitats.
DESI has urged anyone who sees an alligator to report the sighting to department officials as soon as possible.
A crocodile sighting can be reported through the QWildlife app, by submitting a crocodile sighting report on the DESI website or by making a report by phone.
