Bushwalkers find missing teenager

[Overlandman]

From ABC News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-28/t ... nd/4486680

An 18-year-old reported missing in Sydney's north has been rescued from bushland more than two months after he disappeared.

Matthew Allen was reported missing by his family when he did not return to his home at Westleigh, near Cherrybrook, in late November.

They feared the worst because he had not accessed his bank accounts or taken his phone.

Extensive searches by police and emergency workers had failed to find him.

But on Saturday, two bushwalkers discovered Mr Allen lying in dense bushland only a kilometre away off Elouera Road.

Police say he was extremely disorientated, covered in leeches and bugs and had lost about half of his bodyweight.

He was also believed to suffering from gangrene to his feet and lower legs.

The teenager was so exhausted and dehydrated, he had to be winched out by a rescue helicopter and taken to Hornsby Hospital.

Detective Acting Inspector Glyn Baker says his family had feared the worst.

"His family are ecstatic that he's alive and that he's well," he said.

"He's been reunited with them and they've been to Hornsby Hospital to see him."

Mr Allen told his rescuers he had survived only on water from a creek bed that was almost dry.

Detectives believe there is more to the story but have been unable to speak to him.

The teenager survived Sydney's record heatwave when temperatures peaked above 45 degrees

[corvus]

Much more to come from this story I believe
Two months without food equates death in IMHO , water is needed but as we all know it is not food so will be pleased to find out the real story.
corvus

[Stibb]

Not the "real" story, just another "news" outlet:

"He told his rescuers he had been surviving by drinking from a nearby creek, and a small amount of food he took with him."

"He said he suspected Mr Allen may have subsisted on freshwater fish from a nearby creek and possibly also on frogs."

http://www.news.com.au/national/missing ... 6563159677

[andrewbish]

Much more to come from this story I believe
Two months without food equates death in IMHO , water is needed but as we all know it is not food so will be pleased to find out the real story.
corvus

Surviving such a long time without food is not unheard of. In the early 90s Australian James Scott survived without food for 43 days in the Himalayas. The book is very interesting.

[wayno]

looking at the map. thats not exactly a big wilderness area , theres roads everywhere only a few k's between roads, any rational person that age who could move should have been able to find a way to a road.

[davidm]

I'm sure I read somewhere when he first went missing that there were some mental health issues with this kid too. I suspect he wanted to be lost?
I agree that there I more to this than meets the eye.

[FatCanyoner]

looking at the map. thats not exactly a big wilderness area , theres roads everywhere only a few k's between roads, any rational person that age who could move should have been able to find a way to a road.

Yes, this kid was never more than a kilometre or two from suburbia. He apparently has serious mental illness issues, which he is currently being treated for, and was not "lost" in the bush -- rather he'd gone there to escape from the world. I'd be surprised if he'd gone the whole time without food. Given he was in such a bad way, it is great that he was found, and hopefully he will make a full recovery. That said, this is not the story of a lost walkers amazing survival in the wild. It is the story of a sick kid who obviously needs some pretty serious care.

[Wollemi]

looking at the map. thats not exactly a big wilderness area

This statement may have have underestimated how rugged this land is. Sydney is world known for it's amount of bush (much of the continuing development for housing is on former farms and industrial sites). I think Sydney is one of the steepest metropolis' I know of (inclusive of distant locales). Indeed, many Sydney people alone think the Australian bush is scary, even a few metres within, and literally need a hand to hold while on track in the Berowra Regional Park alone. The popular Great North Walk goes through many kilometres of the BRP.

only a few k's between roads

Many suburbs in Sydney are divided by dense bushland, if not steep gullies. Banksia scrub can be so very stiff and harsh. If he lost his glasses by moving through it, and the scrub catching and flinging said glasses off, that would have been a moment of significant fright in itself.


This thread ought not have been placed in the NSW section, but rather in a forum that would catch more readers attention - gangrene, covered in leeches... it is a very interesting read in survival. It is likely, but not a certainty, that the watercourses he drank from came from urban run-off. He was out there on at least two very low humidity, +42degreesC days on the 8th and 18th January - and any other day of 30 degrees and up would have been uncomfortable. As was the cold rain and cool humidity of Christmas and Boxing Days. These historical weather days make me think he was in a overhang then.

James Scott has permanent eye problems relating to his ordeal. James Scott was an avid bushwalker and advanced medical student. Matthew Allen is so very young.

Last edited by Wollemi on Tue 29 Jan, 2013 9:12 am, edited 2 times in total.

[wayno]

as mentioned he was never more than a k or two from roads. and may have had mental issues, even taking into account rough terrain. i think most teens would have been able to get to a road certainly well before nine week. we ahve much bigger rough parks with rough terrain and thick bush around auckland and no ones ever been lost more than a couple of days in those...

[Strider]

as mentioned he was never more than a k or two from roads. and may have had mental issues, even taking into account rough terrain. i think most teens would have been able to get to a road certainly well before nine week. we ahve much bigger rough parks with rough terrain and thick bush around auckland and no ones ever been lost more than a couple of days in those...

You are assuming he was lost and/or that he wanted to be found. He probably came to a road several times, before turning around and walking back into the bush.

[wayno]

i'm responding to the previous gents post , my comment "rational" was a tactful way of not refering to possible mental conditions. i was pointong to there being some mental reason as others have aluded to.

Last edited by wayno on Tue 29 Jan, 2013 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

[wildwalks]

A quick gentle reminder to all - Lets keep keep it friendly

This is an interesting story on which we have little information and much speculation. Lets remember a family is celebrating the return of their boy that many people had though had died. This is great news. We all have great and varied experiences walking in different environments and can learn a lot from each other - thanks

Matt

[Lindsay]

The valley where this kid was found is only a few ks from my place. It is deep and steep sided and access is diffcult unless you use the track that runs through it above Berowra Creek. If you were lost it wouldn't be that difficult for most people to find the track and make your way to safety, however if you did not want to be found then it would not be difficult to hide yourself for a couple of months either. Seems this kid has mental health issues and did not want to be found. To suvive for 9 weeks is remarkable.