Annan River: Crocodile victim Dr David Hogbin’s final selfless act saved the life of wife Jane

It took just 30 terrifying seconds and a “freak accident” to tear apart the lives of a beloved Newcastle GP and his young family.

David Hogbin’s final moments — and the heroic act that saved his wife’s life — have been revealed just days after he was killed by a crocodile.

As they try to come to terms with his loss, Dr Hogbin’s family and friends have spoken out about his final and ultimately fatal decision.

He had travelled to Far North Queensland with his wife Jane, their three young boys and his in-laws for a 4WD and camping holiday.

A lover of the outdoors, Dr Hogbin, 40, had been to the same spot on the Annan River near Cooktown less than a year earlier and was well aware of the dangers posed by crocodiles.

But tragedy struck during a walk along an established path on the riverbank, which was five metres above the water.

The path suddenly gave way, sending Dr Hogbin tumbling into the river below.

His wife Jane was nearby and heard the splash, running to his rescue. She managed to grab his arm to try and help him back up but slippery conditions meant that she too began to slide down the steep bank towards danger.

It was then that Dr Hogbin made the split-second decision to let her go and not risk pulling her in with him.

He fell back into the water and within moments was taken by a 4.9m crocodile.

Dr Hogbin’s remains were later found inside the crocodile after it was shot dead, ending a two-day search.

Jane said her husband had touched many lives and people deserved to know “how it all ended for him”.

“I want to put a face to this tragedy — someone didn’t just get killed by a crocodile, we have lost a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, friend and doctor,” she told news.com.

“We were just enjoying a standard day of our holiday and everything just changed within 30 seconds. He wasn’t doing anything wrong — in fact, he was doing everything right, and this still happened. Things can change so quickly in an instant despite doing everything right.

“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.

“I have a lot of comfort in knowing there’s nothing that I’m frustrated or angry about — he was just walking around a corner on a well-worn path. There’s no regrets about it because it’s one of those random accidents that happen and nothing could have been done to prevent.”

His friend Alex Ward, who has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the heartbroken family, wrote that one small consolation was that none of Dr Hogbin’s children, aged 7, 5, and 2 years old, witnessed the attack.

“Needless to say, Dave’s family and friends are completely broken. But we are so incredibly lucky to have had Dave in our lives.

“Dave had achieved something that we will all strive to emulate; he realised before it was too late that he had everything he needed in life in his family, friends, and the time they were able to enjoy together.

“His enthusiasm and cheer were infectious, none more so than when he was on 4WD and camping adventures with his family and friends.”