Australian officials search for 12-year-old missing after reported crocodile attack [Video]

A search for a missing 12-year-old who witnesses say was attacked by a crocodile in a remote Australian community has entered a “recovery phase,” according to the BBC. 

The unidentified child was swimming in a creek in Nganmarriyanga, a small town in Australia’s Northern Territory, at dusk, according to a social media post from the region’s emergency services agency. The remote community is home to just over 360 people and is about a seven-hour drive from the city of Darwin, the BBC reported. 

Initial reports said the child had been attacked by a crocodile, the agency said. 

The Northern Territory’s Police, Fire and Emergency Services said area police and community members immediately began searching for the child. A search and rescue team has also been deployed and is continuing to search the area. The emergency services agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News.