Human remains have been found inside a large crocodile suspected of killing a tourist in Australia’s second fatal attack in about a month, police said.
Doctor Dave Hogbin, 40, fell from a steep bank on Saturday into the Annan River south of Cooktown in Queensland state, his family said in a statement.
The general practice doctor from Newcastle in New South Wales had been travelling on a camping trip through Queensland with his wife Jane and their three sons aged two, five and seven.
Cooktown is more than 1,500 miles from Newcastle by road.
On Monday, wildlife rangers on Monday euthanised a 16ft crocodile in a creek 2.5 miles from where Mr Hogbin disappeared.
The crocodile had scars on its snout like those witnesses described seeing on a reptile in the vicinity of the disappearance, officials said.
The human remains found inside the crocodile during an examination in Cooktown were believed to be Mr Hogbin, a police statement said. Further testing is to be conducted to positively identify the remains.
The family statement corrected police reports that Mr Hogbin had been fishing at the time he fell.
He had been walking along a riverbank path 16ft above the river when part of the bank gave way, according to his family.
The statement said: ‘It caused Dave to fall 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.’
His wife heard the splash when he fell and went to his aid, but ‘due to the steepness and slipperiness of the bank, she was able to grab his arm, but soon began slipping into the river herself’.
‘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,’ the statement added.
Mrs Hogbin said her husband’s decision to release her saved her life.
‘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,’ she said.
Family friend Alex Ward said a small consolation was that none of the three children saw the tragedy unfold.
Mr Hogbin fell at a location known as Crocodile Bend, which is popular among tourists who come to see large crocodiles.
Police acting chief superintendent Shane Holmes told the media on Monday he believed Mr Hogbin fell by accident.
The tragedy comes after a 12-year-old girl was snatched on July 2 while swimming with her family in a creek in the neighbouring Northern Territory.
Her remains were found days later and wildlife rangers shot dead a 14ft crocodile.
There have been three fatal crocodile attacks in Australia this year, close to the worst annual death toll on record of four in 2014.
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