A respected doctor who was tragically killed in a horrifying crocodile attack is being remembered for his final act of heroism that saved his wife’s life.
David Hogbin, 40, died after being snatched by a crocodile in the Annan River, south of Cooktown in Far North Queensland, just after 2pm on Saturday. He had been holidaying in the region with his wife, Jane, and their three children.
Despite initial reports suggesting that Dr Hogbin had fallen into the water while fishing, his devastated loved ones have now revealed that he was actually walking along a path on a 15metre-high riverbank when a section suddenly gave way beneath him.
‘Jane, who was nearby but not walking with Dave at the time, heard the splash and slid down to desperately try and pull him out,’ his friend Alex Ward wrote on GoFundMe.
‘Due to the steepness and slipperiness of the bank, Jane was able to grab his arm but began 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. In a world-shattering instant, Dave was taken by the crocodile.’
Mr Ward said initial reports that Dr Hogbin was attacked in front of his children were incorrect, and that none of his three sons saw him fall – a fact that is ‘one small consolation’ for his loved ones.
Mr Ward said his family and friends have been left ‘completely broken’ by the tragedy but feel ‘incredibly lucky’ to have had him in their lives.
He said Dr Hogbin would be remembered for his ‘enthusiasm and cheer’ and his love of 4WD camping adventures.
‘Dave had achieved something that we will all strive to emulate; he realised before it was too late that he had everything he needed in life in his family, friends, and the time they were able to enjoy together,’ Mr Ward said.
‘It was a mutual love and discovery of 4WDing that brought me so close to Dave, and I’m not sure if I can do it without him (which he would scoff at and tell me to get back out there and continue the adventurous legacy he has created for his boys).’
Jane Hogbin said her husband touched so many lives and she wanted to speak out to ‘put a face to this tragedy’.
‘Someone didn’t just get killed by a crocodile, we have lost a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, friend and doctor,’ she told News Corp.
‘We were just enjoying a standard day of our holiday and everything just changed within 30 seconds. He wasn’t doing anything wrong – in fact, he was doing everything right, and this still happened.
‘Things can change so quickly in an instant despite doing everything right.’
Dr Hogbin was a general practitioner who has worked at several medical centres in NSW’s Lake Macquarie region. He was employed at Jewells Medical Centre.
According to an online profile, his special medical interests included paediatrics and dermatology.
After completing his degree at University of Notre Dame in 2014, he worked in real estate and nuclear medicine before taking up a residency at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The practice manager of Windale Community Medical Centre, where Dr Hogbin was formerly employed, said the community was shaken by his death.
‘We are all still in a lot of shock as we trained him,’ she told the Cairns Post.
‘I have a lot of staff that are struggling at the moment.’
The crocodile was shot and killed by wildlife rangers at 2pm on Monday before the carcass was handed to police and the contents of its stomach examined.
Queensland Police released a statement on Tuesday revealing that human remains had been found inside the predator.
It comes as disturbing videos emerged on social media showing people throwing fish or meat scraps into the water for awaiting crocodiles upstream from where the father was snatched.
‘Is that the big one?’ a man was heard asking.
‘Yeah. He’s pretty big,’ another person responded.
‘Oh, there’s two there!’ a woman exclaimed.
A child was then heard saying ‘attack’ just moments before a crocodile surfaced and snapped at the food thrown into the water.
In another video, a crocodile was seen swimming up to the edge of the water and eating a large fish on the riverbank.
‘What a pig,’ the woman said. ‘I think he just said “thank you”.’
It is unknown when the video was taken but it is understood the feeding happened at the Annan River in Cooktown.
A Queensland Department of Environment and Science said it was ‘highly concerned’ by the videos.
‘It is illegal to feed crocodiles in Queensland, and anyone with information about the deliberate feeding of crocodiles is encouraged to call 1300 130 372 and report the information. Reports can be made anonymously,’ a spokesman said.
‘Feeding of crocodiles at riverbanks or boat ramps encourages them to hang around, waiting for their next meal.
‘This can place future visitors to the area at a much greater risk of attack if they approach or enter the water.
‘People should never feed crocodiles or give easy access to food or fish scraps.’
The department said crocodiles, which have been around for millions of years, are able to source their own food with their highly developed sense of smell.
It added the crocodile responsible for dragging the father underwater was ‘believed to have a distinctive marking on its snout’.
The spot, where Dr Hogbin was attacked, is a well-known habitat for the reptiles.