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Cindy Waldron’s best friend breaks down recalling horror crocodile attack

Leeann Mitchell was powerless to save Cindy Waldron. Source: Channel 7/Sunday Night.

A distraught woman has recalled the moment her best friend was dragged out of her arms by a crocodile, despite her incredible attempts to save her.

Speaking out for the first time following the horrific attack, Leeann Mitchell broke down sobbing on camera as she remembered punching and kicking the beast’s head to try and get it to let go of her friend Cindy Waldron – but was left powerless to save her.

In an emotional appearance on Channel 7’s Sunday Night, Leeann returned to the beach where the dreaded attack happened in May 2016, and recalled the details of what should have been a fun weekend away.

The pair were at Thornton Beach, 130km north of Cairns, to celebrate the fact Leeann had beaten breast cancer and been given the all clear. They had celebrated into the evening, and ended with a paddle in the sea.

Leeann Mitchell broke down in tears remembering the horrific day. Source: Channel 7/Sunday Night.

“It was really dark, Cindy’s back was to the water and mine was to the beach and we were laughing,” she recalled, while struggling through sobbing tears.

“And then Cindy cried out to me and she said ‘it has got me’ – I thought it was just that fright you get when seaweed brushes you.

“I put my arms out and she took my arms and I said ‘I’ve got you babe, it is ok I’ve got you’, and she was holding me and I was holding her.”

Despite keeping hold of Cindy’s arms, both women were dragged out to sea by the “incredible force” of the beast.

“I put my hand out and I felt the top of its head, then I started trying to punch and trying to hit and trying to fight. I was screaming and then all of a sudden we were taken again with the same force,” Leeann remembered.

“I held on as much as I could, I was clawing onto her arm and I was trying to get the other arm up to grab her and I couldn’t… Then she was gone.”

Left with an impossible decision, the brave woman dived underwater to try and feel around for anything that might help her, but quickly realised the best chance she had was to swim back to shore and cry for help.

Read more: Wildlife warrior condemns cull on crocodiles

“The only help I could get was by screaming Cindy’s name,” she added.

The beach itself is very secluded and remote, so finding help was difficult – especially at night. Tragically, there was nothing anyone could do.

The crocodile was captured and killed in June 2016, while human remains – thought to have been Cindy’s – were found inside it.

The brave and emotional interview sparked a wide debate on crocodile culling in the area. While many wildlife experts insisted it was necessary to control the escalating numbers and sizes, ensuring human safety in the area, others have protested it.

Australia’s foremost expert on crocs, Grahame Webb, has a particularly controversial opinion. He believes big game safaris would generate more income for landowners in the area, while controlling numbers. He said he’d be open to foreign visitors coming over and paying money to shoot the crocs, asking: “Does it really matter who pulls the trigger?”

However, Steve Irwin’s wife Terri appeared on the show to hit back at the idea, and said: “Grahame is an interesting person because he has been working with crocodiles his whole life in a consumptive manner, so he believes in consuming a crocodile to make a buck.”

She said, if there is a “problem crocodile” that’s a threat to humans, “by all means it should be removed from the system”, but said open safaris in these remote areas “is a recipe for disaster”.

The show revealed rivers in the area are now overrun with the animals, as they continue to grow in numbers and size.

Do you think crocodile culling should be re-introduced in the more heavily-populated parts of Australia?

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