An Australian chief executive who was left for dead after allegedly being attacked in the United States is on the road to recovery.
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 (GPA), was knocked unconscious in San Francisco during a solo work trip on July 4.
His phone and wallet were stolen and he was left with a fractured eye socket and serious head injuries before a passerby helped him.
His worried family was unable to locate him for four days as he was in an induced coma. Bettles apparently has no memory of what happened that night.
On Thursday night, Grain Producers Australia chairman Barry Large said he had spoken to Bettles and revealed he was “doing well” as he recovered at SF General Hospital.
“A significant number of people have been in touch with us following the news of Colin’s injuries and that shows how much they respect and care for him,” Large said.
And rightly so. Colin is a great person and we hope this message brings him some comfort.
“We will continue to support Colin and his family during his recovery and hope he can return to Australia soon.”
Colin Bettles (pictured), who served as a media adviser to former Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and is now head of farming body Grain Producers Australia, was knocked unconscious in San Francisco while on a solo work trip on July 4.
However, GPA board member Andrew Weidemann said he was not out of the woods yet.
“He came out of the coma, but he is still in the hospital and we are waiting for the neurologist’s report to see how his recovery will be,” Weidemann said. Western Australia.
“Once we have the neurologist’s report, we’ll know when he can return. With this head injury, he remains in a potentially dangerous situation.”
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.
Mr Bettles’ worried family were unable to reach him for four days as he was in an induced coma.
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.
Mr. Bettles is known to have been traveling alone but conducting business in his capacity as CEO of GPA.
His shocked colleagues only learned of his plight after their colleague raised the alarm.
McCormack, who described his former co-worker and friend as “an all-round good guy,” said he had “serious injuries consistent with assault.”
“She has a cut on the back of her head and bruising on the inside of her arms, which police said was consistent with someone being trampled,” McCormack told the newspaper.
On the day of the alleged attack, Mr Bettles (pictured) had shared several posts on X, formerly Twitter, documenting his visit to San Francisco.
“The police are assuming that he was assaulted, because he received a blow to the front of the head and fell backwards or a blow to the back of the head and fell forward.”
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.
In a statement to ABC, the San Francisco Police Department said there were “no reports of Bettles being reported as the victim of any crime.”
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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