American Model Killed by Crocodile in One of Australia’s Most Terrifying Attacks

What began as a glamorous outback adventure inspired by Crocodile Dundee turned into a nightmare that still haunts Australia decades later.

American model Ginger Meadows was just 24 years old when she was violently killed by a saltwater crocodile in Australia’s Northern Territory — an attack so brutal it is still cited as one of the most chilling crocodile encounters in the country’s history.

The Colorado native, from the upscale ski town of Snowmass Village, arrived in northern Australia in March 1987 chasing adventure, beauty, and the thrill of the wild. Traveling with a friend, Jane Burchett, Meadows boarded a luxury vessel near Darwin, bound for the remote and stunning King’s Cascade waterfall — a place known not just for its beauty, but for deadly predators lurking beneath the surface.

Crew members warned the women repeatedly: the waters were crocodile territory. No swimming. No dangling feet. No exceptions.

They went in anyway.

As the women waded beneath the waterfall, a massive saltwater crocodile — estimated at nearly 13 feet long — silently approached. By the time anyone noticed, it was already too late. The women found themselves waist-deep in water, trapped against the rock wall with nowhere to run.

Jane later described the moment terror took over.

The crocodile surfaced with its jaws open. In desperation, she ripped off her shoe and hurled it at the animal’s head. For a split second, it worked.

Believing she had a chance to escape, Ginger let go of Jane’s arm and jumped.

She took just two strokes.

The crocodile surged forward, clamped onto her waist, and dragged her under the water.

Then came the moment Jane says she will never forget.

The crocodile lifted Ginger back above the surface — directly in front of her friend. Ginger’s arms were raised. She was staring straight at Jane. Then, without warning, the animal yanked her back under.

She was gone.

Her body was recovered the following day — on what would have been her 25th birthday.

But even death didn’t stop the predator.

As authorities transported Ginger’s remains in a body bag aboard a rescue boat, a massive crocodile suddenly launched itself nearly four feet out of the water, snapping at the bag and trying to reclaim it. The crew braced for another attack as the animal disappeared beneath the surface.

Ginger’s estranged husband later flew to Australia to identify her body. The boat’s captain would go on to say the warnings had been crystal clear.

“She was told not to even dangle a foot in the water,” he said.

Her death remains one of the most infamous crocodile attacks in Australian history — a brutal reminder of how fast paradise can turn deadly.

Statistics released by Charles Darwin University show that between 1979 and 2022, the Northern Territory recorded 76 crocodile attacks, with nearly 30 percent ending in death.

For Ginger Meadows, one moment of adventure became a fatal encounter with a predator that never gave her a chance.