Cricket legend Ian Botham revealed that he fell into shark infested waters during a fishing trip earlier this week and needed his former Australia rival Merv Hughes to rescue him
Relieved Ian Botham yesterday shared snaps from the fishing ship which saw him cheat death in shark infested waters.
The legend posted the images online after it emerged he was rescued by Australian former rival Merv Hughes.
The pair were on a fishing trip Down Under when he got his flip-flops caught on rope and plunged head-first into the water. Luckily his Ashes arch-rival Hughes and fellow fishermen quickly pulled the shaken 68-year-old out of the Moyle River near Darwin.
He suffered severe bruising to his body after hitting the boat on his way down into the murky water last week.
Beefy posted on Instagram: “My catch of the day was the barra [fish] while I was nearly catch of the day for all the crocs and bull sharks. Thanks boys for getting me out.”
A family of bull sharks was seen lurking underneath the boat as Botham, now a leading cricket commentator, fell in.
He told local media in Australia : “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 okay now.”
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Botham, who was awarded a knighthood in 2020, was an on-pitch rival of Hughes, 62, in the 1980s. But the pair have become good friends in their retirement from the sport. They are due to commentate on a series of upcoming matches, including the first Test between Australia and India.
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