Ian Botham falls into crocodile infested river in terrifying incident alongside Ashes rival

England icon Ian Botham had a terrifying autumn portion connected a travel successful Australia with his erstwhile Ashes rival Merv Hughes and had to beryllium saved from a crocodile infested stream by his present friend

England cricket fable Ian Botham was saved from a crocodile onslaught by his erstwhile rival Merv Hughes.

The 68-year-old was connected a sportfishing travel successful Australia ’s Northern Territory erstwhile the incidental happened. Botham and Hughes were some successful the midst of a four-day sportfishing travel and were crossing a agelong of the stream to the expedition’s mothership erstwhile Botham took a tumble.

He got his flip-flops caught connected a enactment and fell into the Moyle River. The stream is infested with crocodiles, with immoderate taking a fancy to the erstwhile cricketer. There is besides a fig of bull sharks, who whitethorn person besides been funny successful a chomp.

But luckily, Botham’s erstwhile Ashes rival Hughes intervened and dragged him retired of h2o earlier the animals could pounce. Fortunately, the lone wounded that Botham sustained was bruising to his torso.

Opening up connected the incident, the erstwhile all-rounder said: “At the extremity of the time Crocodile Beefy survived. I was retired of the h2o quicker than I went successful it. Quite a fewer sets of eyes were having a peep astatine me. Luckily I had nary clip to deliberation astir what was successful the water.”

Fortunately, Botham has shown nary lasting effects and praised those who rescued him. He added: “The guys were brilliant. It was conscionable 1 of those accidents. It was each precise speedy and I’m OK now.”

The incidental looks improbable to enactment Botham disconnected his semipermanent sportfishing hobby. He has been taking to rivers since a young property and continued passim his cricket career.

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Speaking successful an interrogation with The Guardian, helium said: “More than shooting oregon golf, sportfishing is my biggest passion. I request solitude, and fly-fishing, which fascinates me, offers that.

“There is decidedly thing astir rivers, the travel of water, watching connected arsenic the time goes by... I've ne'er recovered a agelong of stream that hasn't someway funny me.

“There surely isn't overmuch salmon sportfishing down successful London. Look, I'm a state boy, cities are good for a bully dinner, but I can't hold to get distant from them.”

After redeeming Botham, Hughes is acceptable to beryllium reunited with his pal erstwhile much arsenic they commentate unneurotic connected Australia’s upcoming summertime cricket schedule. They footwear disconnected a packed fixture database with the archetypal Test against India.

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