Serious safety concerns have been raised after hordes of tourists were seen crowding around the banks of a crocodile-infested river in Kakadu National Park, where people have previously been killed.
"Someone is going to die," Leon Compton said, who is holidaying in the Top End with his family.
"A tourist is going to die at Cahills Crossing given the behaviour I saw yesterday at the crossing — it is only a matter of time."
Mr Compton, a presenter on ABC Radio in Hobart, said he was shocked to see so many tourists risking their lives near the dangerous reptiles, which congregate en masse near the notorious crossing.
"This is a tourist phenomenon," he said, noting that people usually observe the crocs at a safe distance in a designated area away from the water's edge.
"I think normally there must be some sort of display or waiting point where people can actually [safely] stand on the bank, but it's being fixed at the moment."
Kakadu National Park manager Shaun Barclay said the crowd was far too close to the crocodiles.
"Parks Australia is disappointed with the behaviour of some visitors at Cahills Crossing who have ignored safety signage and walked dangerously close to the water, risking the chance of being attacked by a crocodile," he said.
"Saltwater crocodiles are dangerous animals and have attacked and killed people at Cahills Crossing. It is not safe to stand at the water's edge … visitors should never be complacent around crocodiles."
Tourists with 'toes in the water' metres away from crocs
In 2017, a 47-year-old man was killed by a crocodile after trying to walk across the dangerous crossing on the East Alligator River.
A 40-year-old man was decapitated in the same location in 1987 by a large crocodile, while wading into waters to fish.
Despite official signs advising pedestrians that the crossing is closed, Mr Compton said he saw between 100 and 200 tourists walk down to the river "literally with their toes in the water".
"It was absolute insanity," he said.
Multiple crocodiles, including one as large as 4.5 metres, were very close to "people standing right on the edge … with bubbles emerging from the water below".
Mr Compton said children and vulnerable people were among the crowd.
"It was so ridiculous," he said.
"It would have become a stampede if a croc had rocketed out of there.
"And literally crocs visible only metres away."
Mr Compton, who was viewing the crocodiles from a high boulder in a safe area, said a park ranger who saw what was going on warned people of the risks.
"[He said], 'I have lived here all my life and I am extremely nervous standing here right now — what you are doing here is absolute lunacy.'"
A new federally funded viewing platform at the crossing was first flagged in 2020, but construction did not begin until May this year, with completion expected by about September.
"We have closed the Cahills Crossing viewing platform and adjacent walking tracks until September while major construction work is underway on the new viewing platform," Mr Barclay said.
