Ian Botham was saved by Merv Hughes from crocodile infested river
Ian Botham was saved by Merv Hughes from crocodile infested river

Ian Botham, legendary England all-rounder almost had a life-threatening incident while he was fishing with his old foe Australia’s Merv Hughes. He fell into the crocodile-infested river and had to be rescued before the predators devoured him.

During their fishing trip, Sir Ian Botham and Merv Hughes were preparing to board their main expedition vessel. During this time, Botham’s flip-flop became stuck in a rope, and he lost control of his balance and fell into the river.

However, he was fortunate to have Merv Hughes to his rescue. Hughes was quick to respond to this grave scenario, pulling him out of the water. Crocodiles and bull sharks are thought to be abundant in the river.

Merv Hughes saves old foe Ian Botham from a life-threatening crocodile attack

Despite being saved, Ian Botham had bruises and injuries all over his body when he later told the story of his survival. The former all-rounder stated that he was pursued by a few crocodiles but managed to escape.

“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,” Botham told the Express.

He commended the rescue team, saying: “The guys were brilliant. It was just one of those accidents. It was all very quick and I’m OK now.”

Botham and Hughes share a strong interest in fishing, and the two have been close friends since their playing days. In a discussion with the Guardian, Botham discussed his enthusiasm for fishing.

“More than shooting or golf, fishing is my biggest passion. I need solitude, and fly-fishing, which fascinates me, offers that. 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,” Botham told the Guardian.

Botham led England to five Ashes wins over Australia and also received the Knighthood back in 2007. He played 102 Tests and 116 ODIs and scored over 5000 runs in Tests and picked up 383 wickets. In the ODIs, Botham scored 2113 runs with the bat and picked up 145 wickets.

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