Australian police said Tuesday that they believed the human remains found inside a massive crocodile were those of a missing 40-year-old New South Wales man.
The man fell from a steep river bank into the Annan River, near the town of Cooktown in the Australian state of Queensland on the afternoon of August 3, and failed to resurface.
Riverbank gave way
The BBC reported that David Hogbin had been traveling on vacation with his wife and three children. While walking along a path about 16 feet above the river, part of the riverbank suddenly gave way, causing him to fall.
“We were just enjoying a standard day of our holiday and everything changed within 30 seconds. He wasn’t doing anything wrong – in fact, he was doing everything right, and this still happened,” Hogbin’s wife Jane said in a statement, according to the BBC. “He saved me – his last act was to not pull me in with him.”
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Australian wildlife officials said on Monday that they had euthanized a large crocodile that was believed to be responsible for the attack.
The crocodile was spotted during a helicopter search in a small creek about four kilometers from where the deadly incident occurred. The crocodile reportedly had markings on its snout that were consistent with reports from the initial incident.
Queensland police said that further testing would be conducted to determine a positive identity.
This is the third fatal crocodile attack in Australia in 2024, the BBC reported.
In July, police recovered remains believed to be those of a 12-year-old. And in April, a 16-year-old was killed while swimming in the Torres Strait.
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com