A pilot buried his badly injured companion in sand with his head out so he would not freeze to death after their helicopter crashed in crocodile-infested mudflats in northern Australia Sunday.

Rescuers were surprised to find the injured man buried in the sand up to his neck upon arriving in Dundee Beach, Northern Territory. But an official of CareFlight, the medical rescue helicopter team, said the man may not have survived the cold night had he been exposed and praised the pilot for burying him in sand.

"It was definitely good thinking, he just wanted to keep his mate alive," CareFlight director Ian Badham told Times Online.

The two men in their 50s were taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital, where the injured one remains in serious condition due to chest, lung and head injuries. The pilot was discharged for minor injuries.

The pilot said their helicopter crashed while they were taking a closer look at crocodiles along the remote beach. He dragged his injured companion away from the reptiles, buried him and called for help through his satellite phone.