In an adventure that is ripe for a James Franco screenplay, a New Zealand man was recently checking out the northwestern coast of Australia, when he decided to take a little kayak voyage to Governor Island. Except, he realized that he didn’t bring enough supplies with him on the trip, so he decided to turn around and paddle the roughly 2.5 miles back to Kalumburu, where he would presumably purchase a few Hot Pockets and a Penthouse magazine, as I usually do on my own camping trips.
But a funny thing happened to the man known only as “Ryan” on the way back to the mainland, in that he was stalked and trapped by a 19-foot saltwater crocodile for two weeks. Every time Ryan tried to leave, the croc would appear and scare the crap out of him, which you can read more about in my upcoming book, “One Reason Why You Shouldn’t Bother Kayaking.”
Every time he tried to leave, the crocodile would make his presence felt, leaving the adventurer stranded for a fortnight.
On Saturday, a Kalumburu resident, Don McLeod, spotted a light on the island, and when he checked it out, the hatless, shirtless and desperate visitor approached.
“When I came round through Red Bluff opposite Governor Island I saw a flash in the scrub,” McLeod told ABC radio.
“I went across and Ryan came out looking a bit distraught. He came down the beach, he had no hat on and no shirt on.
“He was relieved and shocked, and thankful someone had come along because he was running out of options pretty quickly.
“He is a very, very lucky man.” (Via The Guardian)
I was a little upset when I read that the man’s name was Don McLeod, because I’ve always imagined that any time someone is in danger in Australia, Paul Hogan comes to the rescue. But then, I guess he’s probably taking a break since the Australian government tried so hard to throw him in prison and take all of his money for tax evasion.
Regardless, Ryan’s story is pretty remarkable, as the Guardian reported that he only had 160 liters of water and “some flour and dry stores.” Meanwhile, he was only out there in the first place because the yachtsman he was traveling with was arrested, leaving Ryan stranded until McLeod found him and gave him a beer.
In conclusion, nobody should ever leave their homes.
(Banner via Shutterstock)
