Tourists ignoring crocodile warnings at notorious infested Cahill’s Crossing in Northern Territory

Tourists have been blasted after they flocked to the edge of a crocodile-infested river to watch on as the predators lurked just metres away.

Footage emerged on Friday showing huge crowds including children at the notorious Cahill’s Crossing in the Northern Territory, with many even dipping their toes into the water.

Up to 200 tourists were seen hanging around the edges of the river bank unfazed, leaving ABC Radio presenter Leon Compton dumbfounded. 

‘Someone is going to die, given the behaviour I saw yesterday at the crossing — it is only a matter of time,’ Mr Compton, who was visiting the area, told the ABC.

Cahill’s Crossing (pictured) at Kakadu National Park is home to 120 crocs and one of the most dangerous waters in the country

The Kakadu National Park site has seen tragedy with one man being killed in 2017 as he was trying to cross the hazardous area on foot (stock image)

The waterlogged area is a well known spot to see crocodiles in action and attracts thousands of tourists each year outside the wet season

Mr Compton said there is supposed to be a barricade at the spot to give space between visitors and the crocs but it was under construction.

Despite there being signs the crossing was closed, he said many decided to go down to the water’s edge.

‘It was so ridiculous. It would have become a stampede if a croc had rocketed out of there,’ he said.

The Kakadu National Park site has seen tragedy in the past with one man being killed in 2017 as he was trying to cross the hazardous area on foot. 

In 1987, 40-year-old Kerry McLoughlin was decapitated after an encounter with a crocodile as he was fishing in the same area. 

Last year a group of tourists were forced to swim through crocodile-infested waters after their Subaru Forester got bogged in the river. 

They had to abandon their car and swim across the East Alligator River, which is notorious for being full of saltwater crocs. 

A driver had to stop and wait for crocodiles to pass by (pictured)  at the notorious  Northern Territory spot

In September 2019 a tourist was left in a terrifying situation after their car became surrounded by more than 30 saltwater crocodiles. 

The car was forced to come to a complete stop for more than two minutes and wait for the reptiles to move off the road.

Operations manager at Kimberley Off-Road Adventure Tours Lucy Periton told Daily Mail Australia at the time it’s not unusual to see the reptiles sprawled all over the road. 

Cahills Crossing is only a few metres wide but is renowned as one of Australia’s most dangerous bodies of water, home to about 120 crocodiles. 

It attracts thousands of tourists each year outside the wet season.

Cars often make the hazardous crossing at the Kakadu National Park (pictured), where there have been five fatalities