A wildlife enthusiast and TV star has died while hanging 100ft below a helicopter trying to collect crocodile eggs.
Chris 'Willow' Wilson, star of the Outback Wrangler TV show, died when the chopper he was hanging from crashed into trees in West Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia, according to a report from the Air Transport Safety Bureau.
The 34-year-old leaves behind his wife Danielle and two young children Ted and Austin.
He was found with fatal injuries about 130ft from the site of the helicopter wreckage on February 28.
Pilot Sebastian Robinson, 28, was serious wounded in the crash but has survived.
Attached to the chopper with a line and harness, Mr Wilson was able to lower down and collect the eggs from hard-to-reach swamp areas, reports news.com.au.
Following the crash, when Mr Robinson wasn't replying to radio messages, another helicopter crew found the wreckage.
It is believed it was found around 90 minutes after the crash happened, and the men hadn't managed to collect any crocodile eggs yet.
Stuart Macleod, ATSB director of transport safety said: “Initial assessment indicated the engine had stopped prior to the helicopter colliding with the ground."
He described how the helicopter's rotor blade would have struck a tree several times before the vehicle crashed down.
Mr Wilson starred in Outback Wrangler alongside Matt Wright and Jono Brown.
The Fordham Company, behind the TV show, has paid tribute to Mr Wilson saying: “Matt Wright, his family and team are absolutely devastated by the tragic accident yesterday in Arnhem Land.
“(They) are heartbroken by the loss of their best friend and highly respected colleague Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson.
“Our love and thoughts are with Chris’s wife Danielle and two little boys Ted and Austin."
