SYDNEY — England cricket great Ian Botham was rescued by his former Ashes rival Merv Hughes after he fell into crocodile-infested waters during a fishing trip in northern Australia.

Botham, along with Hughes and a group of friends, was on a boat when the accident happened, leaving him with heavy bruising to his torso, but no serious injuries to the former England all-rounder.

Botham, 68, allegedly became tangled in ropes as he walked towards another boat, causing it to slide headfirst into the Moyle River, 200 kilometers (125 miles) southwest of Darwin in the tropical north from Australia. The river is known to be inhabited by saltwater crocodiles and bull sharks.

In a post about the incident on social media, Botham shared his relief, saying: “My catch of the day was barra while I was almost the catch of the day for all the crocodiles and bull sharks… thank you guys boys for bringing me out.”

The two cricket legends, who faced each other several times during the Ashes series in the late 1980s and early 1990s, enjoyed a close friendship over the years.

In a comment to News Corp, Botham compared himself to the character in the Australian film Crocodile Dundee, saying: “In the end, Crocodile Beefy survived.

“I got out of the water faster than I got in. Several pairs of eyes looked at me. Luckily I didn’t have time to think about what was in the water. The guys were great, it was just one of those accidents. Everything went very quickly and I’m fine now.

There have been three fatal crocodile attacks in Australia this year.