Floodwaters were hampering emergency officials’ efforts to clean up a remote site in northeast Australia where a freight train carrying sulphuric acid derailed a day earlier.

Not only did the 52-year-old drop by, he also committed to sponsoring a 10-week-old bat named … wait for it … Jackie Sparrow.

Although the injury means Depp will be absent from the set for around two weeks, it will only minimally affect production as other scenes are filmed.

The cameraman with Steve Irwin at the time of his death has described how a stingray’s jagged barb pierced the Crocodile Hunter’s chest “like hot butter”.