How did a pilot save his friend after they crashed near saltwater crocodile-infested mudflats in Australia?
(June 22) — A pilot dragged his passenger to safety and buried him neck-deep in sand to protect him from hypothermia Sunday night after their helicopter crashed in crocodile-infested mudflats in Australia’s Northern Territory. “The pilot thought that in this remote location, nobody would find them. So he buried his friend to try and stop the hypothermia,” said Ian Badham, director of CareFlight, the air ambulance service involved in the rescue. The two friends had gone camping on a remote beach without road access, about 80 miles from the Northern Territory capital of Darwin. While leaving Sunday night, the pair decided to fly their two-seater helicopter over waters that are home to large crocodiles. “It’s an area known for its big saltwater crocodiles,” Badham said. “Those things make alligators look like wussies.” The pilot later told rescuers that they flew in to take a closer look. The next thing he remembered was lying upside down in the mud with the wreckage of the helicopter on
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/06/22/australia.chopper.crash/index.html Pilot buries helicopter crash survivor in sand Story Highlights * Helicopter pilot buries injured passenger in sand to save him from hypothermia * Pilot dragged him from crocodile-infested mudflats in Australia’s Northern Territory * Helicopter crashed as they flew in low over mudflats to look for the giant reptiles * Passenger remains hospitalized Monday in serious but stable condition Updated 7:54 a.m. EDT, Mon June 22, 2009 By Saeed Ahmed (CNN) — A pilot dragged his passenger to safety and buried him neck-deep in sand to protect him from hypothermia Sunday night after their helicopter crashed in crocodile-infested mudflats in Australia’s Northern Territory. “The pilot thought that in this remote location, nobody would find them. So he buried his friend to try and stop the hypothermia,” said Ian Bad
