GRIEF stricken relatives of suspected croc attack victim Arthur Booker yesterday paid tribute to a bloke they called simply "the best".

As police, rangers and SES continued to comb the croc-infested Endeavour River in search of Mr Booker, his family spoke of their shock and disbelief at his disappearance.

"None of us believe it," Mr Booker’s brother-in-law Mike Watson said.

"We’re just hoping against hope."

An ashen-faced Mr Watson recalled the missing man as a top bloke who loved the bush and his family.

"A great person," he said, as Mr Booker’s daughter Jodie Goodwin and son-in-law Darren Goodwin, looked on during a media conference at Cooktown Police Station.

"Great father, great husband, great brother-in-law, the best," Mr Watson said.

Mr Booker’s wife, Doris, 60, remains in Cooktown hospital and was "absolutely shattered" by events he said.

"She’s doing as well as she could be."

The retired couple had come to Cape York after seeing family photos of other camping trips, Mr Watson said.

The 62-year-old Vietnam veteran was an enthusiastic camper and fisher, his brother-in-law said.

Mr Booker vanished about 8.30am Tuesday while checking crab pots at the Endeavour River Escape campsite near Cooktown.

Several crocs have been spotted in the area and the main suspect is a 6m monster dubbed Charlie, which was tagged and released by rangers several years ago.

"He lives there. That’s his territory. He’s the alpha male there," Endeavour River Escape’s Terry Rayner said.

The search for Mr Booker stopped about 7pm yesterday but Far Northern Police Region Insp Ian Swan said the search would resume today.

Yesterday, crews combing the river found another of Mr Booker’s sandals, 400m upstream from where he disappeared. On Tuesday afternoon, his other sandal, his watch and a digital camera were recovered.

Insp Swan revealed that Mr Booker’s camera found on the river bank contained family photographs but nothing to indicate what happened.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Scott Sullivan said he had examined tracks believed to be a croc trail at the river bank.

But he said: "It was 24 hours later and there was nothing there that I could provide the police with information on."

Mr Sullivan did not comment on the practice of checking crab pots in a croc-infested river.

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