NSW doctor David Hogbin confirmed as Cooktown crocodile victim

A doctor who specialised in pediatrics and loved fishing with his kids has been identified as the NSW man taken by a 4.9m crocodile after he slipped from the banks of a Queensland river.

A NSW doctor has been identified as the man taken by a 4.9m crocodile after he slipped from the banks of a river in Far North Queensland on Saturday.

David Hogbin, 40, was a doctor at Jewells Medical Centre, 16km south of Newcastle.

Dr Hogbin’s special medical interest was pediatrics and dermatology and he enjoyed spending time in the bush, four-wheel-driving and fishing with his three children, according to his medical profile.

40-year-old Newcastle Doctor David Hogbin has been identified as the man taken by a 4.9m croc from the banks of the Annan River on Saturday, August 3, 2024. Picture: Supplied

Dr Hogbin completed his degree at University of Notre Dame in 2014 following a career in real estate and nuclear medicine and before his residency at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.

The practice manager of the doctor’s former employer Windale Community Medical Centre said the community was shaken by Dr Hogbin’s death.

“We are all still in a lot of shock, as we trained him,” she said.

“I have a lot of staff that are struggling at the moment.”

Police have confirmed human remains were located in a crocodile that was shot dead at Cooktown on Monday.

A formal identification process is under way, but it’s believed the remains are those of missing 40-year-old Dr Hogbin.

David Hogbin has been identified as the man taken by a 4.9m croc from the banks of the Annan River on Saturday, August 3 2024. Picture: Supplied

Further testing will be conducted to determine a positive identity.

The search and rescue operation has been suspended.

Police are working with wildlife officers as investigations continue.

The 4.9m crocodile was shot dead by wildlife rangers as part of the search for the missing man, who was believed to have been taken by the reptile after slipping into the Annan River.

The river’s boat ramp was a sombre scene on Monday, converted into a staging area for police and wildlife rangers as the search for the entered its third day.

Rangers had deployed a baited trap in the water on the southern bank of the large tidal river about 5km south of Cooktown, while Yuku Baja Muliku Land and Sea Rangers were on scene assisting police and rangers to launch boats throughout the day.

Late on Monday word filtered through from authorities that the crocodile believed to be behind the attack, a 4.9m saltie, had been shot dead at 2pm.

The animal was located 4km upstream from Crocodile Bend, where the man was taken when he slipped and fell into the river.

The animal will now be handed over to Queensland Police Service for the process of examining the animal’s stomach contents to confirm the animal was responsible for the attack.

The crocodile, which is believed to have dragged the man underwater in front of his family, had a distinctive mark on its snout.

Authorities are yet to formally declare the large crocodile was responsible for killing the 40-year-old New South Wales man on Saturday, but it’s understood his family including children, watched him slip into the river, where he failed to resurface about 2pm.

Aside from police tape marking the entry point to Crocodile Bend, there was no evidence of Saturday’s attack, though the area is private property and is clearly marked with “keep out” and “no hunting” signs.

Acting chief superintendent Shane Holmes.

Acting chief superintendent Shane Holmes in an afternoon briefing on Monday said police were offering the man’s family “all available support for their wellbeing,” but could not confirm their town of residence for “privacy”.

Early on Monday, video surfaced on social media, filmed at Crocodile Bend, which showed a man throwing scraps into the waterway, with a crocodile waiting below and calmly consuming the offerings.

A large crocodile known to live at Crocodile Bend. Photo: Kim Andersen

Speaking at the same briefing on Monday Department of Environment, Science and Innovation senior conversation officer Daniel Guymer said the video would be investigated, describing the behaviour in it as “very risky and reckless”.

“So any information and evidence in relation to alleged illegal activities, such as the unlawful feeding of a crocodile at that location, they will be investigated by our wildlife officers,” Mr Guymer said.

A DESI spokesman on Monday confirmed wildlife officers assisting the search and rescue operation had been “conducting intensive surveys of the Annan River by vessel and with the use of drones”.

The old Annan River Bridge along the Mulligan Hwy, looking north toward Cooktown.

“Wildlife officers are also assisting police in a search of the river by helicopter,” the spokesman said.

“QPWS worked with Yuku Baja Muliku Land and Sea Rangers to prepare a baited trap which was installed (on Sunday) in the Annan River.

“The target animal is believed to have a distinctive marking on its snout, and wildlife officers will study crocodiles in the area for those distinctive marks.”

The spokesman said the distinctive mark was a “while line” on its snout, but could not confirm whether it was a scar or confirm the origin of the marker.

The spokesman said it was not possible to determine whether the crocodile shown in the social media videos was the same one officers were searching for.

“DESI is highly concerned at seeing recent social media videos reportedly showing crocodiles being fed in the Annan River, near Cooktown,” the spokesman said in response.

Originally published as NSW doctor David Hogbin confirmed as Cooktown crocodile victim