Millionaire who left his life as a CEO behind to trek across Australia with five camels spends seven hours teetering off a cliff after one of the animals slipped off a bush trail
- John Arthur Elliott, 38, has been trekking around Australia with five camels
- On Sunday one of the camels slipped off a bush trail in country Victoria
- Elliott and the other camels fell down too and it took seven hours before rescued
- The animals and Mr Elliott escaped with minor injuries and will continue journey
A former millionaire who left his life as a CEO behind to trek across Australia with five camels and a dog spent seven hours teetering off a cliff after one of his animals fell off a bush trail.
John Arthur Elliott, 38, from Perth, has spent the last year walking across Australia but at midday on Sunday, his camel Arthur slipped off a bush track near Jamieson around 190km north-east of Melbourne.
The camel brought the other animals and Mr Elliott along with it, falling up to 40 metres and nearly reaching the Jamieson river at the bottom of the cliff.
Emergency services arrived at 3pm but it would be another four hours before the animals were rescued - remarkably with only minor injuries.
John Arthur Elliot (pictured) has spent the last year trekking around Australia with five camels and his dog Bruski
Mr Elliott is seen with two of the camels who fell down the cliff face on Sunday
'It was about a ten metre straight drop but I was stupidly holding onto the rope so (Arthur and I) both went over the edge,' Mr Elliott told Nine News.
'He went down about 40 metres and I went down about 20.'
His camel Arthur was bleeding and crying out in pain as he desperately tried to bring him back up the hill.
Mr Elliott feared he was going to lose his animals he had spent walking 3,000km across the country with.
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'It's not something I like to think about too much, my heart dropped a lot when I saw it all first starting to happen,' he said.
At 3pm a police helicopter was sent in but was unable to lift the camels alone.
Eventually by 7pm the Country Fire Authority stepped in to help and all animals were rescued and able to continue their journey.
Mr Elliott along with emergency rescue services are seen trying to pull the camels back to safety
Mr Elliott was once a millionaire and award-winning entrepreneur before leaving a life of luxury behind him
The 38-year-old plans to spend the next few years trekking around Australia
Mr Elliott said he was still a bit 'busted' after the fall.
'We made it through with minor injuries. I am a bit sore, and battered and a bit bruised, busted up,' he said on Instagram.
'The camels are mainly OK.'
The 38-year-old who was the CEO of an insurance company and an award-winning entrepreneur decided in April last year to embark on a journey across Australia.
'I gave away my dream car. I resigned as CEO from my own company. I walked away from my house, my regular wage and my creature comforts,' his Facebook says.
'Now I’m redefining success on my own terms.'
Mr Elliott's Instagram shows previous photos of him surrounded by women and at luxurious events.
He plans to spend the next few years finding himself as he treks around the country.
The former millionaire left his penthouse and job as the CEO of an insurance company behind to embark on a journey across Australia
Mr Elliott is seen with his five camels while stopping at Tangambalanga in north-eastern Victoria
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