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GOVERNOR ISLAND, Australia — After being stranded on an island for weeks thanks to a large salt water crocodile that had set its sights on him, a New Zealand man is relieved to head back home.
Don MacLeod rescued Ryan Blair, 37, from the wilderness of Governor Island after about two weeks of being stuck there. Blair had been transported to the location by a yacht and left with his supplies and an 8-foot kayak to explore the area and eventually return to the mainland.
Blair spent some time on the island before realizing he was running out of food and water. But as he began his attempt back to the mainland, he noticed a very large crocodile — estimated by MacLeod to be about 20 feet in length — was following him.
"He was about four metres away from me and I thought `this is it,'" Blair told ABC radio. "It was so close, and if this croc wanted to take me it would not have been an issue. I was scared for my life; I was hard core praying for God to save me."
He headed back to shore, but as his supplies lessened and his situation grew more desperate he attempted the trek a few more times. Each time, the crocodile followed and he returned to land.
Blair lit a fire and caught the light on a small mirror in an attempt to catch the eye of a potential rescuer. MacLeod saw the light and came to the rescue.
"He was relieved and shocked, and thankful someone had come along because he was running out of options pretty quickly," MacLeod said.
MacLeod said he had previously seen the “monster” crocodile in the area.
"Even though the crocodiles have been reduced along the coast by this poaching business, there's still a number of these very old ones that are cunning and certainly on the lookout for an easy meal. He's very, very lucky," MacLeod said.
