Story highlights A woman is feared dead and another hospitalized after an alleged crocodile attack in Australia

Rescue operators are still searching for the missing woman

(CNN) A 46-year-old woman is feared dead after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming with a friend on a beach in far North Queensland in Australia.

The women, who were not from the area, were reportedly swimming in waist deep water on remote Thornton Beach, in the Daintree National Park in Cairns at about 10.30 p.m. Sunday night (8:30 a.m. ET) when the woman was taken by the crocodile.

North Queensland member for parliament, Warren Entsch, who represents the region, said the victim should be blamed for the attack, not the crocodile.

"You can't legislate against human stupidity," Entsch said on Monday, noting that Thornton Beach lies next to a creek where tourism operators run crocodile-spotting tours.

"This is a tragedy but it was avoidable. You can only get there by ferry, and there are signs there saying watch out for the bloody crocodiles," he added.

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