Worker gets creative to rescue large goanna stranded in Victorian weir

A massive goanna has been rescued in a unique fashion after it was stranded in a weir in a northern Victorian town.

Luke Simpson told 3AW radio he was doing routine inspections in Torrumbarry when he spotted the almost two-metre reptile looking tired and stranded on a structure in the weir.

"I was trying to work out how I was going to get it out and came up with a solution of the log to rescue it," he said.

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Simpson said he used a crane that was on site for maintenance purposes, hooked a nearby log onto it and lowered it down.

He described the goanna's rescue as "fishing".

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"It took a while but eventually it noticed I was trying to give it a helping hand and jumped on aboard," he said.

"I lifted it up out of the way ... and then it went on its way."

Simpson said he knew to stay away from the goanna, which are notorious for mistaking humans for trees and running up them.