A 34-year-old man was lucky to escape injury after falling down a steep river bank in Southport last night.

At approximately 7:30pm the man was fishing about 50 metres from the Southport boat ramp with a friend when his line became tangled in a mangrove tree. When the man moved into a position near the edge of the bank to free the line he slipped and fell seven to ten metres down.

The man landed in the water and made the decision to climb onto rocks rather than risk swimming to the boat ramp due to the high probability of crocodiles being in the area.

The Northern Territory Emergency Service Vertical Rescue Team rescued the man by way of safely hauling him to the top of the bank.

NTES Duty Officer Tracy Rowe stated: "It was great that this person had the presence of mind to stay put once he realised he was in difficulty and called for assistance. It made the job for the volunteer rescue team so much easier to bring about a successful conclusion."

St John Ambulance members assessed the man at the scene and he was found to be in good health with no injuries.


Media Contact:
Sarah Trinne
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