An Australian chief executive was reportedly left for dead in the United States after being attacked by thugs, with his worried family unable to reach him for four days because he was in an induced coma.
Colin Bettles, who served as a media adviser to former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack and is now head of farming body Grain Producers Australia, was reportedly in San Francisco on a work trip when he went out for pizza with colleagues on July 4.
His family believes he was returning to his hotel after dinner when he was attacked, leaving him with a fractured eye socket and serious head injuries.
His phone and wallet were stolen and he was left unconscious on the street before a passerby helped him, the police reported. The Sydney Morning Herald.
Mr. Bettles, a former journalist who later went into politics, was taken to a local hospital but doctors were unable to identify him without any documentation.
His injuries were so severe that he was placed in an induced coma.
His colleague, who works in an Australian region with limited phone reception, only realised something was wrong when he failed to get on a plane to New York.
He reportedly contacted Bettles’ friend of 15 years and former employer, Nationalist MP McCormack, who raised the alarm with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Secretary Penny Wong on Monday.
Colin Bettles (pictured), who served as media adviser to former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack and is now head of farming body Grain Producers Australia, was reportedly left for dead after being attacked in the United States.
Bettles’s friend of 15 years and former employer, Nationalist MP McCormack (pictured together), is reported to have been contacted by his partner, who raised the alarm with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Secretary Penny Wong on Monday.
US authorities tracked Mr Bettles to his hospital bed, where he remained in intensive care for five days.
It is unclear why his colleagues at Grand Producers Australia (GPA) were not the first to raise the alarm.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the GPA for comment.
“He’s a good guy all around. Nobody deserves what he’s been through,” McCormack told the paper.
A friend of Mr. Bettles said he had…suffered a head injury (alleged assault) in San Francisco on July 4.
“As a result, he was admitted to SF General Hospital, where he is currently recovering,” the friend added.
On the day of the alleged attack, Mr Bettles (pictured) had shared several posts on X, formerly Twitter, documenting his visit to San Francisco.
On the day of the alleged attack, Mr Bettles had shared several posts on X, formerly Twitter, documenting his trip to the United States.
“It was a fantastic experience today to drive 17 Mile Drive and visit Pebble Beach Golf Course and its facilities #roadTrip,” he posted, accompanying several photos of the world-famous California golf course.
Later that day, he shared a video of driverless taxis in San Francisco.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the San Francisco Police Department for comment.
Mr Bettles began his career as a journalist and eventually worked as a national rural affairs reporter at Parliament House for Fairfax between 2006 and 2018.
His area of expertise covered the agricultural industry, including farm representation, crop production, wheat export deregulation, supply chain and competition.
In 2016, he re-established the National Rural Press Club in Canberra and served as its inaugural president.
His tenure was praised by Independent MP Bob Katter, who said he was known for his integrity and ability to build and maintain relationships.
Mr Bettles began his career as a journalist and eventually worked as a national rural affairs reporter based at Parliament House for Fairfax.
Mr Bettles’ tenure as president of the National Rural Press Club in Canberra was praised by independent MP Bob Katter, who said he was known for his integrity and ability to build and maintain relationships (the two are pictured together).
“I think Colin Bettles revolutionised the way we report on rural issues in Canberra and Australia,” Katter said in 2018, when Bettles left his role.
Colin came in and spoke at our level and in our language. Colin brought a willingness to understand the issues and communicate them without fear or favor.
After leaving journalism, Mr Bettles worked as a media adviser to former National leader, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack, including during the 2019 federal election campaign.
Mr Bettles comes from a family of dairy farmers in Western Australia and is a keen cricket fan.
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