A father who was involved in a fatal crocodile attack on his ‘dream holiday’ made a singular heroic move to prevent his family from being harmed.
Australian Dr Dave Hogbin, 40, was on an adventure camping vacation with his wife and their three young sons when he tragically fell into the Annan River.
The exact location where Hogbin plunged in is called ‘Crocodile Bend’—a tourist honeypot where animal enthusiasts routinely flock to glimpse deadly beasts.
It’s reported that the general practice doctor from Newcastle, New South Wales, fell into the crocodile-infested waters on Saturday (August 3), whilst walking and couldn’t get out due to ‘conditions of the terrain’.
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His spouse, Jane, was alerted to her husband’s struggles and attempted to pull him out by sliding down the steep bank herself.
But while she could grab hold of his arm, she could not maintain her footing.
“Due to the steepness and slipperiness of the bank, she was able to grab his arm, but soon began slipping into the river herself,” stated Hogbin’s sister-in-law Alexis Carey.
“Dave’s final, decisive act was to let go of Jane’s arm when he realised she was falling in, despite knowing she was his only lifeline. Within moments, he was taken.
“He saved me – his last act was to not pull me in with him,” Jane said after the event.
“I’m glad I’m still here because it could have been a millionfold worse for everyone involved, not just the boys.”
She continued to explain she has ‘no regrets’ regarding the incident as it was a ‘random accident that [happened] and nothing could have been done to prevent’.
“We’re going to miss him, he can’t be replaced, and we’re super proud of him,” she added.
“It brings us some comfort to know that in the last years of Dave’s life, he had never been happier.
“We’d now ask for some privacy as we navigate this unthinkable tragedy.”
On Monday (August 5,) wildlife rangers euthanised a 4.9-meter (16-foot) crocodile in a creek four kilometres from where the practitioner disappeared, as per the Associated Press.
A police statement confirmed that human remains thought to belong to the dad had been found inside the creature but will be tested further to gain confirmation.
Following the death of Hogbin, one of the medical expert’s friends set up a GoFundMe to help his young family adjust to life without their father.
“One small consolation is that none of Dave’s children witnessed this event,” the fundraising organiser Alex Ward wrote.
“Needless to say, Dave’s family and friends are completely broken. But we are so incredibly lucky to have had Dave in our lives.
“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.”
Ward continued to say that the GoFundMe page had been set up with permission from Hogbin’s ‘immediate family’ as to lighten the ‘financial burden associated with such tragic events’.
At the time of writing, the page has raised $92,756 AUD (£47,809) and has accumulated over 1,000 donations.
Topics: Australia, World News, Animals, Travel
Ella Scott