Human remains inside crocodile believed to be those of tourist on vacation with family

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Police said Tuesday human remains were found inside a large crocodile suspected of killing a tourist in Australia’s second fatal attack in about a month.

The latest victim was 40-year-old doctor Dave Hogbin who fell from a steep bank Saturday into the Annan River south of Cooktown in Queensland state, his family said in a statement. The general practice doctor from Newcastle in New South Wales had been traveling on a camping vacation through Queensland with his wife Jane Hogbin and their three sons aged 2, 5 and 7 years. Cooktown is more than 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) from Newcastle by road.

Wildlife rangers on Monday euthanized a 4.9-meter (16-foot) crocodile in a creek 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from where Dave Hogbin disappeared. The crocodile had scars on its snout like those witnesses described seeing on a reptile in the vicinity of the disappearance, officials said.

The human remains found inside the crocodile during an examination in Cooktown were believed to be Hogbin, a police statement said. Further testing would be conducted to positively identify the remains.

The family statement corrected police reports that Dave Hogbin had been fishing at the time he fell. He had been walking along a riverbank path five meters (16 feet) above the river when part of the bank gave way, according to his family.

“It caused Dave to fall down into the river below, and despite being tall, strong and fit, the conditions of the terrain meant Dave was unable to get himself out of the water,” the statement said. His wife heard the splash when he fell and went to his aid, but “due to the steepness and slipperiness of the bank, she was able to grab his arm, but soon began slipping into the river herself.”

“Dave’s final, decisive act was to let go of Jane’s arm when he realised she was falling in, despite knowing she was his only lifeline. Within moments, he was taken,” the statement added.

Jane Hogbin said her husband's decision to release her saved her life.

“He saved me – his last act was to not pull me in with him. I’m glad I’m still here because it could have been a millionfold worse for everyone involved, not just the boys,” she said.

Family friend Alex Ward said a small consolation was that none of the three children saw the tragedy unfold.

Dave Hogbin fell at a location known as Crocodile Bend, which is popular among tourists who come to see large crocodiles.

Police Acting Chief Superintendent Shane Holmes told the media on Monday he believed Hogbin fell by accident.

The tragedy came after a 12-year-old girl was snatched on July 2 while swimming with her family in a creek in the neighboring Northern Territory. Her remains were found days later and wildlife rangers shot dead a 4.2-meter (14-foot) crocodile.

There have been three fatal crocodile attacks in Australia this year, close to the worst annual death toll on record of four in 2014. A 16-year-old boy was killed while swimming off a Queensland island on April 18.

The crocodile population has exploded across Australia’s tropical north since the predators became a protected species in the early 1970s. Hunting for their skins since the 1950s had almost wiped them out.