Croc snatches victim out of boat

Photo / Thinkstock

The remains of a man taken by a crocodile in front of his family in the Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park have been recovered.

Two crocodiles were shot and killed by police officers who were searching for the 62-year-old on Sunday.

One of the crocs, which was 4.7 metres long, contained the remains of the man, a police spokesman told reporters.

The man was on a boat with his son, wife and daughter-in-law when he was attacked on a billabong near Cooinda, on Saturday afternoon.

"During daylight hours today Kakadu rangers using their expertise of crocodile management behaviour managed to locate two large saltwater crocodiles in the billabong," Sergeant Andrew Hocking said.

"Two of the crocs were shot and killed.

"One of those crocs was later examined and a quantity of human remains was recovered."

Sgt Hocking said the remains were yet to be formally identified. The reptiles were found about 1.5 kilometres from where the man was taken.

There's no indication the man was swimming when the incident happened, although investigations are continuing, Sgt Hocking said.

He also said reports the man and his family were in a closed area of the park were incorrect, as the area had recently been opened to the public.

Crocodile expert Graeme Webb said it was unusual for a croc to attack at this time of year, as the reptiles usually laid low during the cooler months.

"They tend to move around a lot more when it warms up... and that's when they're more dangerous," he told AAP.

"But crocs will still take prey during the cooler months.

"I don't know what has happened in this case but it just sounds horrific. It's just awful, you just can't begin to understand how [the man's family] must feel."

Mr Webb, chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Crocodile Specialist Group, said there have been a number of reports in the past of reptiles approaching and going aboard boats.

Police haven't released the dead man's name.