(Melbourne) Police said Tuesday that human remains have been found inside a large crocodile suspected of killing a tourist in Australia’s second fatal attack in a month.
The victim is Dr Dave Hogbin, 40, who fell from a steep bank into the Annan River south of Cooktown in Queensland state on Saturday, his family said in a statement.
The GP from Newcastle, New South Wales, was on holiday in Queensland with his wife Jane Hogbin and their three sons aged two, five and seven. Cooktown is more than 2,500 kilometres from Newcastle by road.
Rangers euthanized a 16-foot (4.9-meter) crocodile Monday in a creek four kilometers (2.5 miles) from where Dave Hogbin disappeared. The crocodile had scars on its snout, similar to those witnesses described seeing on a reptile near the disappearance, officials said.
Human remains discovered inside the crocodile during an examination in Cooktown are believed to be those of Mr Hogbin, police said in a statement. Further tests will be carried out to confirm his identity.
The family’s statement corrected police reports that Dave Hogbin was fishing at the time of his fall. He was walking along a riverside path, five metres above the watercourse, when part of the bank gave way, his family said.
“This caused Dave to fall into the river below, and although he is big, strong and fit, the ground conditions made it impossible for Dave to get out of the water,” his family said in a statement.
His wife heard the noise as he fell and went to his aid, but “due to the steepness and slipperiness of the bank, she managed to grab his arm, but soon began to slide into the river herself.”
“Dave’s final decisive act was to let go of Jane’s arm when he realized she was falling, even though he knew she was his only lifeline. Within moments, he was caught,” the statement added.
Jane Hogbin said her husband’s decision to release her saved her life.
“He saved me – his last act was not to train me with him. I’m glad I’m still here because it could have been a lot worse for everyone involved, not just the boys,” she said.
Family friend Alex Ward said one small consolation was that none of the three children saw the tragedy unfold.
Dave Hogbin came across a spot known as Crocodile Bend, popular with tourists who come to see large crocodiles.
The tragedy came after a 12-year-old girl was caught swimming with her family in a creek in the neighbouring Northern Territory on July 2. Her remains were found days later and rangers shot and killed a 4.2-metre crocodile.
There have been three fatal crocodile attacks in Australia this year, close to the annual worst toll of four deaths in 2014. A 16-year-old boy was killed while swimming off a Queensland island on April 18.
Crocodile populations have exploded in Australia’s tropical north since the predators were made a protected species in the early 1970s. Hunting for their skins since the 1950s had decimated them.