Bear Grylls calls underwater boa constrictor choke the ‘scariest’ moment of his career

Bear Grylls has described coming face to face with an eight foot boa constrictor as his scariest moment yet.

The 46-year-old adventurer has opened up on the terrifying encounter during filming for new show Animals on the Loose, which saw the massive snake choking him out underwater.

He told The Sun: ‘We were in this deep, dark, flooded ravine. We knew we had this big, maybe eight-foot, boa constrictor in there. They’re incredibly dangerous and unpredictable.

‘Once they wrap, you can’t breathe or move, and if it takes you down you’re in big trouble. I had two safety guys nearby, but they were on edge about doing it.

‘They said, “If this thing gets you underwater you’ll be in trouble, fast”. I got in, couldn’t touch the bottom, and suddenly I felt that thing grab me and start pulling me down.

‘Then it got a grip around my neck. It caught me out. I hadn’t anticipated how fast, powerful and heavy it would be. Every time I surfaced I saw the guys giving me the thumbs-down rescue signal, but I said no.’

Bear’s new interactive Netflix show sees him crossing a wild game reserve in South Africa, with viewers deciding his course of action.

However, things took a nasty turn when he tangled with the boa, and he admitted he’d ‘never been so scared’.

He added: ‘And then, just as it was squeezing me tighter, I thought, “Oh no, actually I’m running out of breath here”. It was terrifying and very intense.

‘I’ve never been so scared in my life. But like all these things, they happen fast and they don’t last very long. I managed to break free.

‘I look back on the many times in my life when I really should have died. I feel incredibly lucky to have survived.’

During the show – a follow-up to the likes of Man vs Wild and Running Wild – viewers will also see Grylls eating awful grubs, facing a ferocious lion and saving elephants from poachers.

Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Interactive Movie is available now on Netflix.

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