Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Thank God British Backpacker safe

I am amazed and thankful.
A 19 year old British backpacker went walking in the Mountains not far from my home 12 days ago. He only had a light jacket and did not take his mobile phone (not always much use in this type of country). While some people do go hiking alone, I think it is very foolish as you never know if you might slip and be injured. He was in Australia alone and reported missing when he did not show for a tour he had booked a few days later.
His father flew out from England but this country is so thickly timbered with steep cliffs.

"I was told there were 50 guys with yellow jackets out there looking for him - I saw one of them,'' Mr Cass said.

"So I can understand how difficult it is to see a stupid kid in a dark blue jacket walking under the trees.

"It's so dense.''

I know it well and might be able to orientate myself by recognising landmarks but for a stranger it would be so easy to get lost.
This afternoon his father was at the airport about to fly home, having conducted a little private ceremony and given up all hope, when he received a message that his son had been found by walkers and was just dehydrated having lived on seeds and leaves. It is mid-Winter and temperatures would be about zero or below. As I said amazing.

Last weekend some recent British migrants, two families with young children, went for a walk in the bush at 4.30pm (sunset 5pm at the moment). They were found the next morning after a very cold night. The Australian bush is no walk in the park.

The photo below, which I took 18 months ago, shows the area in which he was lost. The small hill in the centre is know as the Ruined Castle and is where he was last seen by some other walkers 12 days ago. He was headed for Mount Solitary on the left. In front is Narrow Neck and news reports say he was found below it on this side.
Newspaper article

5 comments:

Fran said...

Wow - glad he is safe.

Nature is to be respected, sometimes that is hard to do.

Birdie said...

Wow, that is some trek. The rule to being found is to stay in one spot. I am amazed and grateful he came out okay.

Anonymous said...

It's so easy for an Englishman to get lost in your part of the world. Take David Ould, for instance. He got lost in the dark but seems quite happy to stay there.

June Butler said...

Thanks be to God that he was found. I see from the picture how difficult it would have been for the searchers to spot him.

Göran Koch-Swahne said...

Amazing, on the whole.