Man taken by crocodile named

BRISBANE - A 60-year-old man taken by a four-metre crocodile in far north Queensland has been named as Barry Jeffries, of Townsville.

Mr Jeffries' distraught wife Glenda watched as the 400kg crocodile grabbed her husband by the arm, capsized their canoe and disappear with him into Midway Waterhole at Lakefield National Park at dusk yesterday, police said.

A search of the Normanby River is underway for Mr Jeffries, 60, and the crocodile.

Mr Jeffries tried to fend the crocodile off with a paddle but the crocodile lunged and dragged him into the water by the arm.

- AAP