Andrew Heard, 69, went fishing near Hinchinbrook Island on Thursday, but has not returned, according to Queensland police.
Investigators found human remains in the area and inside a 13.8-foot crocodile, police said on Sunday.
“At this stage, we can only confirm that we found human remains in the first,” Queensland Police Inspector Andrew Cowie said at a news conference on Monday, explaining that the examination process was not completed on the second crocodile.
Both animals were found in the area where Heard is believed to have fished, Cowie said, and the characteristics of the second crocodile are consistent with involvement in the incident.
“I believe we have both crocodiles involved,” he said.
Police found a small vessel with very significant damage, Cowie said, adding that the investigation will now be referred to the coroner.
“This is a tragic incident,” he said, asking people to be alert.
“It is very important that people are always aware of their circumstances,” he said. “Anywhere in the north … if you are in the bush, you have snakes and if you are in the water, you have crocodiles.”
Cowie stressed that people need to take precautions.
“Always make sure you tell people where you’re going, always make sure you have the right safety equipment, always make sure you can get to that safety equipment, if you need to, in a hurry,” he said . “Please be very careful.”
Another fisherman told CNN affiliate 7News about his confrontation with a large crocodile in the same area where Heard disappeared.
“It would be the length of my boat,” Luke Nation told 7NEWS, adding that the 15-foot crocodile hit his ship’s hull. “It scared us. He was definitely giving us our march orders, I think.”
This is the third crocodile attack in Queensland this month, according to 7News, after swimmers in Cairns and Weipa survived their encounters.
Crocodile attacks are rare in Australia, but Queensland authorities run a public safety campaign to warn residents of the risks of swimming or relaxing near crocodile-infested waters.
In 2019, a Queensland fisherman narrowly escaped an attack by poking a crocodile in the eye.
In September 2020, a huge 14-foot crocodile was captured at a tourist spot in neighboring Northern Territory.