Crocodile traps NZ man on Australian island for two weeks

  • 11 years ago
Crocodile traps NZ man on Australian island for two weeks. A New Zealand man was stranded for two weeks on a remote Australian island, unable to leave for fear of being attacked by a 20-foot saltwater crocodile.

Ryan Blair, 37, was dropped off at Governor Island, actually a pair of islands off the coast of Western Australia, by a solo yachtsman who had transported him from Darwin. Blair was equipped with a kayak, flour, camping supplies and 160 liters of water, but after about two weeks, he ran out of goods and decided to go back to the mainland. He set off in his small kayak, but was followed by a crocodile three times longer than his boat. This scared the bejeezus out of him and he sensibly turned around and went back to his camp.

He made three attempts to get to the mainland, which was four kilometers away, but between the menace of the persistent crocodile, and weighing down his puny kayak with too much stuff, he failed each time and eventually gave up in defeat.

Rather fortunately, Don McLeod, a man familiar with the area, was out fishing with friends and notice a flash of light coming off Western Governor Island. He went to investigate and found Blair sans shirt, sans hat and visibly distraught. They gave him a beer and he apparently passed out on the trip back to the mainland.

Blair, who has lived in Melbourne for the past 10 years, had been travelling in the area for several weeks. He was travelling on yacht from Queensland, but was stranded after the boat's owner was jailed in the Northern Territory. He met up with a solo yachtsman while stuck and hitched a ride to the island.

McLeod said in an interview that Blair was not well prepared for the journey and that locals are familiar with the stalking crocodile, which has been in the area for years.

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