2 days ago
Why this picture of a father and son peacefully fishing on a quiet river has Aussies up in arms
Photos of a father and his young son fishing on the bank of a crocodile infested lake have sparked outrage on social media.
The pair were pictured fishing at Cahills Crossing in Kakadu, in the Northern Territory, this week.
Karen Beckham caught them casually standing within inches of the water and mere metres away from signs warning tourists of the danger they were in.
Ms Beckham shared the photos on Facebook in an attempt to caution others not to do the same.
'And the parent the year award goes to? This dude,' she wrote.
'Poor child would have no idea about crocodile danger.'
Others debated in the comment section of Ms Beckham's post about how much danger the two were really in.
Crocodile experts have also taken note of the photos and urged people to be more careful in the area.
Matt Cornish, co-founder of Community Representation of Crocodiles, said complacency can be a killer around dangerous predators.
'Cahills Crossing is considered to be a high-risk crocodile location where people need to be extremely vigilant,' he told Yahoo News.
'We have had crocodile fatalities there over the last couple of decades.'
The stretch of the river where the photo was taken is a popular fishing area despite the risks it poses.
Signs in the area attempt to warn tourists and locals to remain vigilant at all times due to the fatal attacks which have happened in previous years.
'Do not risk your life,' one sign reads.
'A fatal crocodile attack occurred here.'
Even with signs like these people are still seen fishing on the bank quite frequently.
Those who commented on Ms Beckham's post went back and forth with some defending the father while others similarly condemned him.
'Looks to be a reasonable distance off the water from the photo,' one person wrote.
'Doesn't look that bad. They'll be right,' another said.
'Disaster just waiting to happen parents should have informed them crocks are about and no swimming parent's failed,' a third added.
'Cahills Crossing, more Crocs there than the rest of Australia,' a fourth wrote.
Anyone who visits the area has been advised to ensure they are up to date with the latest Croc Wise advise.
Ensuring that fish and other food is kept away from the water's edge and remaining alert at all time is essential.
Crocodiles can move so fast however that it is often impossible for people to react fast enough to escape their attack.
