Former England cricket icon Ian Botham recently spoke out about a terrifying situation he experienced in Australia. During a fishing trip with an old friend, what started as a peaceful outing quickly turned dangerous and almost ended in disaster. Botham shared details of the incident and recounted how he narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation.

Ian Botham, currently in Australia, recently went fishing with his friend Merv Hughes. While trying to move between the boats, Botham lost his balance and slipped in the murky waters of the Moyah River, a habitat known for crocodiles and blue sharks.

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The fall left Botham severely bruised and he came close to a lurking saltwater crocodile. Fortunately, his friend acted quickly and got the legend out of England before any crocodiles posed a threat. Although Botham was unharmed, he suffered bruising.

Recounting his close encounter with danger, Ian Botham expressed his relief at not having had a moment to think about what might be in the water. He congratulated his friend Merv Hughes and the rescue team for their quick and effective response, saying: “It all happened very quickly, but I’m okay now.”

Ian Botham rescued from crocodile and shark infested waters after diving head first pic.twitter.com/Om9FoFH4nL

– Daily Star (@dailystar) November 7, 2024

As quoted by the Express, Ian Botham said: “At the end of the day, Crocodile Beefy survived. I got out of the water faster than I went in. Several pairs of eyes were watching me. Fortunately, I had no time to think about what was in the water.”

At 68 years old, Ian Botham is considered one of the best cricketers in England’s history. Over the course of 102 Test matches, he scored 5,200 runs with 14 centuries and 22 half-centuries. In 116 One Day Internationals, he amassed 2,113 runs, at an average of 23.21. Botham recorded 9 half-centuries in One Day Internationals. His last appearance for England was on August 24, 1992, against Pakistan.