'Hero' doctor saves wife in 'final act' before father-of-three is eaten by 16ft crocodile on family camping trip in Australia
6 August 2024, 15:39 | Updated: 6 August 2024, 16:08
A 16ft crocodile has been killed by authorities after it was suspected of eating an Australian doctor on a holiday with his family.
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In the latest crocodile attack Down Under - and the second fatal incident in a month - 40-year-old Dave Hogbin was fishing on Saturday while on holiday with his wife Jane and three sons.
He then fell more than 20ft into the Annan River, south of Cooktown, Queensland, after the riverbank gave way, his family said. The waterway is renowned as a crocodile hotspot.
The doctor from New South Wales - described by his loved ones as a "hero" - saved his wife with his "final act", preventing her also falling in and being trapped in the untraversable terrain.
As of Tuesday, his body had not yet been recovered.
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Cooktown resident Bart Harrison said the steep bank collapsed underneath Mr Hogbin's victim's feet. "It's straight up and down. It's a hairy spot to be fishing," Mr Harrison explained.
"We grew up watching the crocs swim around there and I wouldn't go near that edge. There're always one or two big crocodiles living there."
Government conservation officer Daniel Guymer said the suspected crocodile, which had a scar on its snout, was found in a creek 2.5 miles away from the scene of the accident.
"Wildlife officers have humanely euthanised a large crocodile approximately 4.9 metres (16ft) in length that is believed to be responsible for the fatal attack," Mr Guymer told reporters.
"The animal had markings on its snout that were consistent with it being the target animal," he said.
Explaining the horrific ordeal in a statement granted permission by the family, a close friend said Mr Hogbin's wife heard the splash as her husband fell into the crocodile-infested waterway.
She had not been walking close to him at the time but ran back to "desperately try and pull him out".
But "due to the steepness and slipperiness of the bank" she managed to get a hold of him but was "slipping into the river herself".
"Dave’s final, decisive act was to let go of Jane’s arm when he realised she was slipping in, an act that likely saved her life," the statement explained.
"In a world-shattering instant, Dave was taken by the crocodile. One small consolation is that none of Dave’s children witnessed this event."
Close friend Alex Ward said in the statement that "Dave’s family and friends are completely broken" but remain "incredibly lucky to have had Dave in our lives".
"He had everything he needed in life in his family, friends, and the time they were able to enjoy together.
"His enthusiasm and cheer were infectious, none more so than when he was on 4WD and camping adventures with his family and friends."
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family to "take away some of the immediate financial burden associated with such tragic events and support them while they try to navigate life without Dave".
The fund has already raised over $63,000 (£32,000).
"We all miss him so much but are also immensely grateful for the love and support that we have been inundated with."
