Tall, tan, young, thugly - boy from Ipanema uses handbag to mug Nine cameraman

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Tall, tan, young, thugly - boy from Ipanema uses handbag to mug Nine cameraman

By Broede Carmody
Updated

It appears the state of the Olympic Village is not the only thing Australians need to worry about when it comes to the 2016 Olympics, after a man possibly posing as a woman tried to mug a Channel Nine cameraman soon after he landed in Rio.

The cameraman and a Channel Nine journalist landed in Rio last Thursday night and were on their way to film a piece to camera on Copacabana beach when the attempted mugging occurred.

A person referred to by a member of the Nine crew as a "transvestite" tried to steal the cameraman's equipment, which was hidden in a bag.

When a security guard accompanying the Channel Nine team intervened, he was struck on the head with a handbag, containing a "heavy" object.

The new regional Nine News bulletins will be produced through a partnership with regional broadcaster Southern Cross Austereo.

The new regional Nine News bulletins will be produced through a partnership with regional broadcaster Southern Cross Austereo.Credit: Louise Kennerley

Channel Nine reporter Christine Ahern said it all happened "really fast".

"One went straight for my cameraman trying to get the camera," she said.

"Our security guard intervened straight away.

"He got hit on the head with a handbag which obviously had something heavy like a brick in it. He is ex-British special forces, so he is totally fine."

Ahern says security quickly escorted herself and the cameraman into a hotel lobby.

They were later able to finish the piece to camera in front of the Olympic Rings.

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