Sir Ian Botham survives huge scare after falling into crocodile-infested waters in Australia
Legendary former all-rounder Sir Ian Botham had to be rescued by his once-arch enemy Merv Hughes after recently failing to the crocodile-infested waters in Australia midway through a fishing trip. The Englishman was in the Moyle River in North Australia, and sustained bruising on the side of his torso during the incident.
The 68-year-old's footwear got entangled with the ropes while boarding the boat, leading to the fall. Luckily, Merv Hughes was sharp enough to get the rescuing act together and pull Botham before any serious trouble struck.
Despite being rescued immediately, Botham revealed how he almost came eye-to-eye with the reptiles in the water. Following the ordeal, the former cricketer has assured everyone that he is doing fine now.
He shared a couple of images on his Instagram account to share his spoils and thanking his friends in the process.
"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. The guys were brilliant, it was just one of those accidents. It was all very quick and I’m OK now," Botham said as quoted by The Mirror.
The Moyle River in the northern territory of Australia is notoriously known for its crocodiles, with a density of as many as five crocodiles per square kilometres. Prolonged time in such conditions could have spelled trouble for Botham despite being well-versed in the fishing field since 1994.
Sir Ian Botham shared a memorable rivalry with Merv Hughes
While the all-rounder has his Australian compatriot to thank for, that too on enemy turf, things were far from the same during his playing days. Both Botham and Hughes are icons for their respective countries, and their dominant personalities often clashed against each other in the Ashes series during the late-1970s and 1980s.
However, they have settled for a truce since their playing days have come to an end. The pair will be on the field together acting as broadcasters for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series, commencing from November 22 onwards.
Sir Ian Botham remains one of the best all-rounders to have ever featured in the game. The rising exploits of Andrew Flintoff and Ben Stokes has often led to comparisons the former legend as he is the one who set the benchmark.