Fishermen who fed a 4.9-metre crocodile in the days before it killed a doctor during the family trip of a lifetime have been blamed for causing his death.
Dr David Hogbin, 40, died last Saturday after being caught by a crocodile in the Annan River, south of Cooktown in Far North Queensland. He was on holiday in the region with his wife Jane and their three children.
Authorities are now searching for fishermen who were seen dumping fish parts near Crocodile Bend two weeks before the tragedy.
In Queensland, it is illegal to feed crocodiles because this can cause them to approach humans in search of food and potentially attack.
MP Warren Entsch, a former crocodile farmer, said those who fed the animals in the area were to blame for Hogbin’s death.
“It’s pure stupidity and irresponsibility,” he said. Cairns Mail.
‘I think the full weight of the law should be brought to bear on those who fed the crocodiles and I hope they sleep at night knowing they are responsible for the death of that man and the crocodile itself.
‘The animals were there because humans were feeding them, and those who think it’s okay to throw food into the river must be held accountable.’
David Hogbin, 40, is pictured with his wife Jane and their three children on the trip of a lifetime to Far North Queensland.
Authorities are now searching for fishermen who were seen dumping fish parts near Crocodile Bend two weeks before the tragedy.
Dr Hogbin’s devastated loved ones broke their silence earlier this week 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.
“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.
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.
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 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.
“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.
Dr Hogbin, a doctor from the Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales, was on a family holiday at the time of the tragedy.
“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.
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.”
TO 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.
Police declined to comment on speculation that members of the public had been feeding the crocodiles in the vicinity.