The wife and daughter of an Australian man watched as he was dragged under and drowned by two crocodiles on Christmas Eve, police said Saturday.
A police spokesman said Cassey Bond, 48, was killed as he swam to assist a small ferry that had broken down in the Jardine River on Cape York in northern Queensland."Witnesses saw two separate swells of water each side of the man before seeing a large crocodile come up," he said.
The man, a Cape York resident, was dragged down and did not resurface. His body was recovered later.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service said it was nesting and mating season for the salt-water crocodiles, which can grow up to 20 feet long, are fierce and easily aroused.
Crocodile attacks are fairly common in northern Australia.