Australian man spends 6 days up a tree to escape crocodiles
Australian man spends 6 days up a tree to escape crocodiles
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 | 11:00 AM ET
CBC News
An Australian man spent nearly a week sleeping in trees after accidentally venturing into crocodile swampland in early August.
David George, a 53-year-old stockman, spent six nights in crocodile territory before he was rescued by military helicopters.
George was thrown from his horse during a routine trip in the Cape York area in the northeastern part of the country. He said he became dazed after the fall and let his horse guide him home.
"By the time I sort of regained my senses, I was in the middle of a swamp," said the father of one, adding that the brush was dense and full of croc eggs.
Night was approaching, so George said he climbed up a tree to escape the crocs. He spent the first night standing.
"I could see two sets of eyes within 12 metres apart. I reckon they were about 12 metres, eight metres away from the bottom of the tree there," he said.
By the second night, he could hear search helicopters and tore up his shirt to help rescuers find him as he worked his way out of the swamp area. Over the next five nights, he climbed higher and slept on a bed built of branches.
He was rescued on Aug. 8 when he walked out of dense brushland and was spotted by helicopters.
With files from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
