England cricket legend Ian Botham rescued from crocodile-infested river with nasty bruising from incident
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England cricket legend Ian Botham came through unscathed after a scary incident where he fell into crocodile-infested waters while on a trip in Australia.
The 68-year-old was on a fishing trip in Australia's Northern Territory when he suddenly found himself in serious danger.
Botham was joined by former rival Merv Hughes on the trip as they made their way across the Moyle river.
But disaster struck when Botham got his flip-flops caught in a rope, sending him flying into the crocodile-infested river.
Ian Botham had a lucky escape
PA
The waters are also home to bull sharks, which are known to be aggressive towards humans and one of the most dangerous species in the world.
It took swift action from Hughes to save Botham and pull him from the water in time before any danger.
Despite avoiding any confrontation with a dangerous reptile, Botham was left with heavy bruising over his body after hitting the vessel during his fall.
Botham was able to see the funny side after the incident and thanked Hughes and the others around him who helped out.
He told the media: “At the end of the day Crocodile Beefy survived.
“I was out of the water quicker than I went in it. Quite a few sets of eyes were having a peep at me.
“Luckily I had no time to think about what was in the water.”
He added: “The guys were brilliant. It was just one of those accidents. It was all very quick and I’m OK now.”
Merv Hughes helped pull Ian Botham to safety
PA
Botham has had a life-long passion for fishing, dating back to when he was a child.
Speaking back in 2008, the Durham County Cricket Club chairman explained his love for the hobby.
"I need solitude, and fly-fishing, which fascinates me, offers that," he said.
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Ian Botham was left with nasty bruising
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"There is definitely something about rivers, the flow of water, watching on as the day goes by...
"I've never found a stretch of river that hasn't somehow interested me."
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