00:00A 91-year-old paraglider has found himself at the centre of a rescue operation
00:04after crashing beside cliffs on the northern beaches.
00:08Joss Botts spoke to Nine News from his hospital bed today
00:11praising the heroes who pulled him from the water and saved his life.
00:16The final sweet steps to safety.
00:20Keep going.
00:22Good speed.
00:2391-year-old Joss Botts harnessed up and hiking home
00:27after crashing his paraglider near the Worrywood Surf Club.
00:31I went down like a rock and I just hit the rock face with my feet and fell in the
00:37water.
00:38The experienced paraglider has been flying for 40 years
00:41but ran into trouble just before 6 o'clock last night.
00:44He tumbled from the skies.
00:47We found him stranded on a rock shelf with an incoming tide.
00:50With cuts and an injured wrist, Joss was able to make the steep walk out with a few helping hands.
00:56but it's the bystanders who pulled him from the water who he says saved his life.
01:02They're the real heroes.
01:03I owe them my life, that's for sure.
01:05For a 91-year-old gentleman to A, be continuing paragliding at his age
01:10and B, able to self-extricate himself out, it's an amazing job by him.
01:15It just goes to show that you can do anything at any age.
01:17Mr Botts is a daredevil at heart.
01:19The sport has taken him around the world.
01:22I'm flying here in the Nevada desert and I'm pretty high up.
01:26Joss says not even a trip to hospital will scare him away from the sport he loves.
01:31He plans to be back in the air as soon as he can.
01:34It's wonderful being up there.
01:36Lauren Tamazi, Nine News.
01:38Unless here's a free month.
01:38For more of our friends, what would you care about?
01:38We're welcome back.
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