Dad sacrificed his life to save wife from crocodile
Doc let go of her so she wasn’t pulled in
A DAD killed by a 16ft crocodile is being remembered for a final act of heroism that saved his wife.
David Hogbin, 40, died after being snatched by the giant reptile in the Annan River in Queensland, Australia, at 2pm on Saturday.
The keen camper was walking along a 50ft-high riverbank on a holiday with his wife Jane and their three children when a section of soil gave way.
Jane grabbed his wrist in an effort to keep him from the infested waters below. But he heroically let go of her so that she would not slip down the bank with him.
His sister-in-law
Alexis Carey said: “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.”
Journalist Alexis said David’s last moments were witnessed by his wife but not by their three sons, aged seven, five and two, who had stayed on the riverbank above their parents.
Alexis wrote: “One small consolation is that none of Dave’s children witnessed this event.”
David, a doctor, was grabbed and pulled under by the male crocodile, believed to be at least 60 years old and one of the largest on the remote
river.
The predator, nicknamed Mr Banks, had a reputation for menacing fishermen.
It was shot by wildlife rangers on Monday and David’s remains were found in its stomach. The family had travelled in their four-wheeldrive 2,700 miles from home in Newcastle, New South Wales.
Alexis said early reports that David was fishing were incorrect.
She said: “Dave’s brave decision very likely saved his wife’s life, ensuring she was able to return to their boys.”