Ian Botham, the legendary English cricketer, recently found himself in a precarious situation during a fishing expedition in northern Australia, where he plummeted into waters known to harbor crocodiles. Fortunately, his former Ashes rival, Merv Hughes, along with a group of friends, was on hand to assist him, preventing any serious injuries despite some substantial bruising on his torso.

The incident took place while Botham, 68, was transitioning from one boat to another and inadvertently became ensnared in ropes. This unfortunate mishap caused him to tumble headfirst into the Moyle River, situated approximately 125 miles southwest of Darwin. The river is notorious for its population of saltwater crocodiles and bull sharks, making the fall particularly perilous.

After the event, Botham took to social media to express his relief, humorously stating, “My catch of the day was the barra while I was nearly catch of the day for all the crocs and bull sharks…thanks boys for getting me out.” Botham and Hughes, who have a long-standing camaraderie forged during their competitive days in the late 1980s and early ’90s Ashes series, are known for their close friendship.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Botham likened himself to the iconic Australian character Crocodile Dundee. He remarked, “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. The guys were brilliant; it was just one of those accidents. It was all very quick, and I’m OK now.”

It’s worth noting that this year has seen three fatal crocodile attacks reported across Australia, highlighting the inherent dangers that lurk in some of the country’s waters.