Chris Wilson, a cast member of National Geographic's Outback Wrangler, has been identified by the show's production company as the man who died in a helicopter crash in the remote Northern Territory on Monday.
In a statement The Fordham Company, which produces Outback Wrangler, a show hosted by wildlife television presenter Matt Wright, said "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," the statement said.
"Matt Wright and his team are assisting authorities with their investigations as to what caused this awful incident."
On Monday night, NT Police confirmed a 34-year-old man had died and another was injured in an aircraft crash on the King River in a remote part of West Arnhem Land.
In a statement, NT Police said it was advised of the crash shortly before 11am and sent the nearest officers, who were at Goulburn Islands, to the crash site.
Police said the survivor, a 28-year-old man, was transported to Royal Darwin Hospital. NT Health on Tuesday morning said the man had been flown on to Brisbane in a critical condition.
Outback Wrangler, an adventure show set in remote locations of the Northern Territory, airs in more than 100 different countries.
In the show, Mr Wright, Mr Wilson and another cast member commandeer helicopters, airboats and other big vehicles into the deep reaches of the outback NT where they often interact with and relocate saltwater crocodiles.
Mr Wilson's Instagram account, where he is described as a "crocodile wrangler" and "outback adventurer," reflects a life spent often high above ground in helicopters, in some of the NT's most beautiful locations.
Mr Wilson, along with Mr Wright, travelled to Indonesia in 2020 to help local authorities attempt to remove a tyre stuck around the neck of a 4-metre crocodile.
David Connolly, the general manager the Tipperary Group of Stations, which holds pastoral leases in Northern Territory, wrote on social media: "Willow was a born and bred Territorian and drove and chased and caught most things possible."
"We lost a great man and a good friend in Chris 'Willow' Wilson yesterday in a Heli accident," he said.
"Our thoughts are with his young family."
