Only Fools and Horses star John Challis has revealed he diced with death when he fell into a croc-infested river.
The 78-year-old, who played dodgy car dealer Boycie, was in a kayak on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe when a strong current caused his boat to flip over.
The actor said he was “sucked down” into the the river by the strong currents.
And as he gulped for air, he realised he had to beware of any hungry crocodiles.
The four-times married star said: “We had quite a dangerous moment on the Zambezi River when we were kayaking above the Victoria Falls.
“Hippos and crocodiles resting on little beaches looked at us as if to say, ‘Oh, tourists. Yum yum.’
“Then, without warning, I got sucked down into a ‘boil’, which is where the currents mix and swirl around.”
John, inset, added: “The kayak turned over and threw me and my guide into the river.
“I swallowed a mouthful of the Zambezi and came up under the kayak. Not to be defeated, under the water I went again, coming up the other side, gratefully gulping down lungfuls of air while keeping an eye out for the crocodiles.
“Eventually I reached the shore, but it took me half a day to recover as I didn’t feel very well after accidentally drinking all that river water.”
He also said that while camping out on the same trip in the 90s he had a scare involving a lion that came hunting prey.
John revealed: “One night, I woke up because the horses were acting strangely.
“In the morning there was a rancid smell of cat – a lion had been sniffing around.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
