Family reveals Dave Hogbin’s selfless act after he was killed by a crocodile near Cooktown

The widow of a NSW doctor killed in a horror crocodile attack while on a dream holiday in far north Qld has revealed his final words as he made a decisive act to let go of her arm.

The heartbreaking final words of a doctor killed in a horror Far North Queensland crocodile attack were “stop, you’re falling in too” as he let go of his wife’s hand knowing there was nothing more she could do to save him.

Jane Hogbin and her sons Isaac, 7, Max, 5, and Joey, 3, have just marked their first ­Father’s Day without their beloved husband and dad Dave after he was killed by a 4.9m crocodile in a freak incident on the Annan River near Cooktown last month.

Ms Hogbin said the family loved going on adventures, but now the thought of travelling again or looking at photos of happy memories were, at present, too painful to bear.

The Hogbin family from Newcastle were on a month-long four-wheel-drive and camping holiday in Far North Queensland.

The couple were walking along the river when Mr Hogbin, 40, fell from the bank into the water.

Ms Hogbin heard the splash and desperately slid down to the water’s edge to try and pull her husband out.

But due to the steepness and slipperiness of the bank, she was only able to grab his arm before beginning to fall into the river herself.

Ms Hogbin has heartbreakingly revealed for the first time the last words from her husband in those final frantic moments trying to save him from the crocodile.

“‘Stop, you’re falling in too’, and then that was it,” she said.

Mr Hogbin’s last decisive act to let go of his wife’s arm has been credited with saving her life.

Forty-year-old doctor from Newcastle David Hogbin has been identified as the man taken by a 4.9m croc from the banks of the Annan River Picture: Supplied

Jane and David Hogbin with sons Joey, Isaac and Max were on a dream holiday in Queensland when David was killed by a crocodile. Photo: Supplied.

“The screams of ‘help me’ still ring in my mind,” Ms Hogbin said.

“It’s all still so surreal, kind of the position that he was in.

“The danger that I was in and that one of us got to walk away from it.”

Ms Hogbin said her sister and brother-in-law, who were also on the walk, shielded the three young children from the horror that unfolded.

Ms Hogbin said the family had always adventured together, with a trip to Cape York’s famed Old Telegraph Track completed just days before the attack.

“We spent a week on (the track), basically just driving along rough roads and swimming in waterfalls,” she said.

“Dave was just absolutely intent on going there.

“He had wanted to go for his 40th the year before.”

Prior to the tragedy, the family would use its caravan to go camping every fortnight – an activity the kids loved.

“And (Dave) would do the lion’s share of all the packing, organising and preparation because he just loved it – like he just wanted to get away,” she said.

But Ms Hogbin said she had not been able to travel again since the tragedy.

“It’s been too hard at this point. I’ve got the caravan and his car and things, and decided that we won’t sell it,” she said.

“I’ll hold on to it all and learn how to drive and tow the caravan.

“And eventually the long-term plan is to get back and get into camping again.

“But at this point it’s all just a bit too painful.

“It’ll be a big step.

“But definitely, the boys want to keep camping and keep going on adventures like that. So I’ll do that for them eventually.”

Ms Hogbin said her boys were very resilient and still found some happiness to bring into the home.

“We’re kind of finding our new normal routine now that everything is completely different,” she said.

Jane Hogbin with her three boys (LR) Joey (3), Isaac (7), Max (5) at their home in Charlestown. Jane is the widow of Dr Dave Hogbin who was attacked by a crocodile in far north Queensland. Picture: Adam Yip

Dr Dave Hogbin three son's (LR) Max (5), Joey (3) and Isaac (7) at their home in Charlestown. Jane is the widow of Dr Dave Hogbin who was attacked by a crocodile in far north Queensland. Picture: Adam Yip

“What really devastates me is that he was such a wonderful father and his boys absolutely worshipped him, and I’m so heartbroken for them that they won’t have much memory of who their dad was to them.

“It’s so unfair that Dave himself will miss out on watching our boys grow up.

“It’s going to be a really long road before we get to a point where we can look at photos or celebrate the memories or ­anything.

“At this point it’s a bit too upsetting for them.”

Ms Hogbin said the first ­Father’s Day without Dave had been difficult.

“All of the uncles have very much stepped up for the boys with Father’s Day just gone,” she said.

“Kind of having them step into Dave’s role and come to school events and stuff has been really beautiful for them.”

The couple had been married for 10 years and together for 13.

“I lived with his younger sister and his parents. I moved in to their family home in The Central Coast. He didn’t live there,” she said.

“We just moved in as uni students to save some money and we met at the family dinner table, I guess.

“I lived with his parents before I even met him.”

They moved to Newcastle so Mr Hogbin could do intensive care training.

Eventually they started working together at the same medical practice.

“General practice is a really tough job,” Ms Hogbin said. “It’s very stressful.

“So we essentially job shared at the practice, which was really good because we could share patients and ask each other silly questions that you don’t really want to ask a colleague.

“And hand over jobs and stuff for each other without worrying about it. So we had a great little balance.”

Since the tragedy, Ms Hogbin has been unable to go back to work while she looks after her boys.

Jane Hogbin widow of Dr Dave Hogbin who was attacked by a crocodile in far north Queensland at her home in Charlestown. Picture: Adam Yip

Mr Hogbin was a doctor for many years.

“It’s been really nice to hear from so many people that I wasn’t connected with, just so many beautiful memories and stories about him,” she said.

“I know how much I love him and how much our family does.

“But it was really beautiful to see how much the general public, and complete strangers to me, had such beautiful memories of him as well.

“I think of the amount of people he helped from a mental health point of view.

“He was not into mental health, per se, as a GP, but he always had a lot of time for people,” she said.

“And so a lot of his ­patients really loved him and felt validated, and felt that he gave them the time and listened.”

A GoFundMe fundraiser was created last month, raising more than $160,000.

“It’s kind of just given me that relief so there’s not that ­financial pressure to go straight back to work … it’s been incredible,” she said.

“And I know the boys have certainly appreciated that. They’re relieved that I’m always around for them, to pick them up.

“If they’re having a bad day at school I can just pick them up straight away and we can be together.

“So that’s been a massive surprise. I can’t believe how much that has raised.”

Originally published as Family reveals Dave Hogbin’s selfless act after he was killed by a crocodile near Cooktown