DIED A HERO
Dad’s heroic final act before he was killed by 16ft croc as wife tried to save him while he was dragged to his death
His widow said his selfless act is the reason she's still alive
THE FAMILY of a man killed by a crocodile have revealed his final heroic act before being dragged to his death.
Australian News Corp journalist Alexis Carey said her brother-in-law Dave Hogbin sacrificed himself to save his wife Jane after he fell down a collapsed riverbank and into croc infested waters.
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She told : "Dave’s final, selfless act was to save the life of Jane, his wife of 10 years, and to ensure their three beautiful boys still had their mum."
She added: "Dave fell down into the river below, and despite being tall, strong and fit, the conditions of the terrain meant Dave was unable to get himself out of the water.
"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."
Dave's widow Jane said she wanted to put a face to the tragedy.
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She said: "He saved me – his last act was to not pull me in with him. I’m glad I’m still here, because it could have been a millionfold worse for everyone involved, not just the boys.
"Someone didn’t just get killed by a crocodile, we have lost a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, friend and doctor.
“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.
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"Things can change so quickly in an instant despite doing everything right."
The 40-year-old was attacked near the bridge at Annan River, south of Cooktown, in Far North , just after 2pm on Saturday.
Girl, 12, snatched in horror croc attack while swimming in creek as police launch hunt for beast
His remains were found inside a crocodile after wildlife rangers shot and killed the beast on Monday.
He was dragged underwater by the croc as his shocked family watched in horror.
Queensland Police previously released a statement on Tuesday revealing human remains had been found inside the predator.
The statement read: "A formal identification process is underway, however it is believed the remains are those of a missing 40-year-old NSW man."
"Further testing will be conducted to determine a positive identity. The search and rescue operation has been suspended.
"Police are working with wildlife officers as investigations continue."
A has been set up by family friend Alex Ward to help Jane and the family in the aftermath of their loss.
It comes after chilling videos emerged on social media showing people throwing fish or meat scraps into the water near where the father-of-three was snatched.
Days earlier, a ferocious looking croc was filmed prowling in the area.
The clip showed a group of people excitedly discovering a "big" croc known to frequent the aptly named "Crocodile Bend" at Annan River Bridge.
Crocodile Bend is renowned to be a crocodile activity hotspot.
In the eerie footage, a group chuck small fish frames into the riverbank despite it being illegal and the reptile eagerly rises to wolf down the treats.
A young female voice then asks: "Is that the big one?" to which a woman, presumably her mother, whispers: "I don't know, big enough".
Queensland's Department of Environment and Science said it was "highly concerned" about the videos.
A spokesperson said: "It is illegal to feed crocodiles in Queensland, and anyone with information about the deliberate feeding of crocodiles is encouraged to report the information."
Tommy Hayes, who claims to have seen the same croc two years ago, told : "People aren’t being evil when they feed crocodiles, it’s from an innocent place.
"And it’s cool having an interaction with a big thing that eats meat.
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"But it doesn’t make it okay. It’s illegal.
"And it ends up bad for the crocodile who gets shot, and the person who gets eaten."
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Five facts about saltwater crocodiles
- Saltwater crocodiles are the largest crocodile species in the world, and the largest living reptile in the world. Other species of crocodile include: Nile Crocodile, American Crocodile, Freshwater Crocodile, Gharial Crocodile and the American Alligator.
- Male saltwater crocodiles have been recorded at lengths of 23 feet. Females are much smaller, growing to be about 10 feet long. The worlds largest crocodile, Cassius, resides in a wildlife park in Queensland, Australia.
- Saltwater crocodiles communicate using several sounds, including barking, hissing, growling and chirps.
- Crocodiles are as old as dinosaurs. Saltwater Crocodiles are one of the oldest creatures to walk the planet. They first appeared over 240 million years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs. While others have evolved into different shapes and forms, the crocs stuck have stuck to the same structure for the last 200 million years.
- Crocodiles lay eggs. Saltwater Crocodiles breed during the wet season, and females can lay up to 50 eggs, which they build nests for along the nearby river banks. The eggs incubate for around 3 months before hatching. Only 1 per cent of hatchlings survive into adulthood
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