American model Ginger Meadows, a 24-year-old from Snowmass Village, Colorado, embarked on an adventurous trip through Australia’s rugged Outback, inspired by the film Crocodile Dundee. Her journey took a deadly turn on March 29, 1987, at King’s Cascade waterfall in the Northern Territory.
The Fatal Swim
Meadows traveled with companion Jane Burchett aboard the luxury boat Lady G, captained by Bruce Fitzpatrick. The pair planned to continue to Papua New Guinea after exploring Australia. Upon reaching the scenic yet dangerous waterfall, known for its saltwater crocodiles, the captain issued strict warnings against entering the water.
Despite the alerts, Meadows and Burchett ventured waist-deep into the crocodile-infested waters. A four-meter saltwater crocodile approached with its mouth open. Burchett recounted throwing her shoe at the beast, striking its head and momentarily closing its jaws.
Believing she could escape, Meadows released Burchett’s arm, jumped from the ledge, and took two strokes toward shore. The crocodile seized her waist, dragging her underwater. Burchett witnessed it surface again: “I looked her right in the face, she had her arms in the air and she was looking right at me. Then it pulled her back under.”
Recovery and Aftermath
Rescuers located Meadows’ body the next day, coinciding with her 25th birthday. Chief Inspector Arnold Davies from the Port of Broome police station reported that the remains were placed in a body bag on a 23-foot rescue boat. As the boat traveled 15 kilometers upriver, a large crocodile lunged four feet out of the water, snapping at the bag’s end before vanishing.
Meadows’ estranged husband, Dwayne McCaulley, then 27, traveled to identify the remains. Captain Fitzpatrick later recalled: “We were aware there were crocodiles in the area. And before we went Ginger was told to not so much as dangle a foot in the water.”
Crocodile Dangers in the Northern Territory
This incident remains one of Australia’s most notorious crocodile attacks. Recent analysis from Charles Darwin University shows 76 crocodile attacks in the Northern Territory from 1979 to 2022, with 30% proving fatal.
