EastEnders star ‘lucky to be alive’ after terrifying fall in Thai jungle

The former EastEnders actor, Paul Nicholls, says he is “lucky to be alive” after he fell off a waterfall in a Thai jungle.

The actor, who played Joe Wicks on the soap, spent three days trapped in a rock pool after he fell while taking a selfie on holidays. The 38-year-old was visiting the remote waterfall on the Koh Samui island alone when he fell. The area is said to be infested by snakes, mosquitoes, spiders and leeches.

“I am lucky to be alive,” Paul told the Sun. “I had a phone with me but I fell from such a height into the water it was unretrievable. It took such a long time to find me. "It’s an understatement to say it wasn’t a great situation.”

The actor suffered a broken leg and needs a knee reconstruction as a result of his injuries. Paul was eventually found three days after his accident by locals who spotted his abandoned motorbike and alerted the police. Search and rescue teams spent hours trying to find him in the jungle. He was eventually tracked down and was found semi-conscious and had hypothermia.