Kind-hearted Australians have banded together to raise more than $110,000 for the family of a father who was tragically killed in a horrific crocodile attack.
Dr David Hogbin, 40, died after being caught by a crocodile in the Annan River, south of Cooktown in Far North Queensland, shortly after 2pm on Saturday. He had been on holiday in the region with his wife Jane and their three children.
Now, a GoFundMe Created to help his family, the project has attracted $110,070 in donations in just two days since its launch.
The huge sum is more than five times the $20,000 goal that had been initially set for the fundraiser.
The heartbreaking update comes after Dr Hogbin’s devastated loved ones broke their silence on Tuesday to reveal that his final act was heroically saving the life of his wife of ten years.
Despite initial reports suggesting Dr Hogbin had fallen into the water while fishing, a friend said he was actually walking along a path on the bank of a 15-metre-high river when a section of ground 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 to get him out,” friend Alex Ward wrote on the fundraising page.
‘Because of the steep and slippery bank, Jane was able to grab her arm, but began to slide into the river.
David Hogbin, 40, is pictured with his wife Jane and their three children on the trip of a lifetime to Far North Queensland.
Dr Hogbin was attacked by a crocodile in front of his wife in the Annan River, south of Cooktown (pictured, a baited crocodile trap is placed in the water)
“Dave’s decisive and final act was to release Jane’s arm when he realized she was sliding in, an act that probably saved his life. In a momentous instant, Dave was caught 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 children saw him fall, a fact which was “small comfort” to his loved ones.
Mr Ward said his family and friends were “completely devastated” by the tragedy but felt “incredibly lucky” to have had him in their lives.
He said Dr Hogbin would be remembered for his “enthusiasm and joy” and his love of 4×4 camping adventures.
“Dave had accomplished something we will all strive to emulate; he realized, before it was too late, that he had everything he needed in life: his family, his friends and the time they could enjoy together,” Ward said.
“It was a mutual love and discovery of 4×4 that brought me so close to Dave, and I’m not sure I could do it without him (which he would tease me about and tell me to go back and continue the adventurous legacy he’s created for his kids).”
Jane Hogbin said her husband touched many lives and she wanted to speak out to “put a face to this tragedy.”
“Not only did a crocodile kill someone, we have also lost a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, friend and doctor,” she told NewsCorp.
‘We were just having a normal day on vacation and everything changed in 30 seconds. I wasn’t doing anything wrong; in fact, I was doing everything right, and yet this happened.
Dr Hogbin’s loved ones have revealed his final act was saving the life of his wife Jane, who desperately tried to pull him out of the water.
“Things can change so quickly in an instant, even if you do everything right.”
Dr Hogbin was a general practitioner who worked at a number of medical centres in the Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales. He was currently based at Jewells Medical Centre.
According to an online profile, his special medical interests included pediatrics and dermatology, while in his spare time he enjoyed spending time in the woods, driving 4×4 vehicles and fishing with his children.
After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame in 2014, he worked in real estate and nuclear medicine before undertaking a residency at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The director of Windale Community Medical Centre, where Dr Hogbin previously worked, said the community was in shock over his death.
“We’re all still in shock as we trained him,” he told the Cairns Post.
“I have many employees who are going through difficult times.”
The crocodile was shot dead by rangers at 2pm on Monday before the carcass was handed over to police and its stomach contents examined.
Dr Hogbin, a doctor from the Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales, was on a family holiday at the time of the tragedy.
Queensland Police released a statement on Tuesday revealing that human remains had been found inside the predator.
The place where Dr. Hogbin was attacked is a known habitat for the reptiles.
A Cooktown resident said the crocodile had associated people with food as some locals were feeding it roadkill from upriver.
“People throw roadkill in for him to eat, but he could have been sitting there, 15 feet under water, waiting to be fed,” they told the Cairns Post.
‘There’s been a bit of rain so the bench would have been soft and even if he hadn’t been near the edge it could have collapsed underneath him.
“It’s just horrible and everyone is feeling sorry for the family; to see that happen in front of you is unthinkable.”
Police declined to comment on speculation that members of the public had been feeding the crocodiles in the vicinity.
