CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – Two fishermen have rescued a naked fugitive found on a tree branch in the habitat of an Australian crocodile.
Cam Faust said on Wednesday that he and fellow recreational fisherman Kev Joiner heard 40-year-old Luke Voskresensky calling for help on Sunday as they set crab traps from their dinghy into mangroves on the outskirts of the northern city of Darwin.
Faust said Voskresensky – covered in mud, cuts and insect bites – explained that he had been lost for four days, survived by eating snails, and used his clothes “for bits and pieces along the way.”
“It didn’t make sense,” Faust said, referring to the explanation for his nakedness. “He had made a nest in the tree, and he was only a meter (39 inches) above the water and there were crocodiles in the water, so he did well to survive.”
Joiner said the friends were hesitant before bringing Voskresensky on board.
“Once we saw how bad he was and how many cuts he had all over, he was dehydrated and pretty weak … we thought we’d better get him in the boat,” Joiner said.
“We thought he just had a big night after New Years and got lost and done himself a mischief in the bush,” he added.
Faust said he stripped down to his underwear and handed Voskresensky his shorts and a beer while the trio returned to Darwin.
“He looked like he needed a beer, although he was in bad shape,” said Faust.
When they arrived, an ambulance was waiting at a boat ramp from Darwin. Voskresensky was taken to a hospital in Darwin, where he was placed under police surveillance while being treated for exposure.
Police said Voskresensky was out on bail after being charged with armed robbery, multiple assaults, deprivation of liberty and theft. But he cut off his electronic surveillance device last week and tried to evade the police.
Because he was hospitalized, Voskresensky was released from court on Tuesday on new charges of bail violation and aggravated assault, court official Xavier La Canna said.
Voskresensky will appear in court on Feb. 9, La Canna said.
Faust said he decided not to visit Voskresensky in the hospital after discovering he had been wanted by the police.