A diabetic hiker managed to do the impossible and survive for nine days in the Australian wilderness. Eventually, he tracked down help by lighting a signal fire, bringing rescue to his location.
Videos by Suggest
According to Daily Mail, 61-year-old Troy Milne disappeared after leaving his family’s campsite at Woodside Beach on October 7. He left to buy supplies but never returned, sparking concern from loved ones.
Search and rescue began searching for the hiker, who has diabetes. Family was worried that he suffered a medical episode. Those fears were heightened by a CCTV video that showed the hiker disoriented at a service station.
But apparently Milne accidentally took the wrong droad while trying to come back to the campsite. He became lost for nine days in the Australian wilderness. Fortunately, the fire the hiker lit helped rescuers finally locate him.
Milne had been located near Kirby Cross Track at Buchan. It was a good trek from where his family’s campsite was. Rescuers airlifted the hiker to a nearby hospital where they treated him for exposure.
Hiker Survives For 9 Days
The hiker explained that he survived the nine days by drinking a lot of water. Still, Milne thought he was a goner. He shared his side of things.
“I thought I was a dead duck in water,” he told 9News. “I thought that was it. They saved my life, mate.”
As a diabetic, he didn’t have insulin for a week. But he was in surprisingly good shape.
“He was in remarkably good shape considering what he had been through,” Ambulance Victoria senior manager Dave Jones told 3AW on Friday. “I suspect his bloods were out of whack by the time they got some pathology done.”
The hiker said that he became stuck after his Jeep hit a rough spot and wouldn’t move. Police are glad that he’s alive.
“To be able to contact Troy’s family and give them the fantastic news was a wonderful result,” Inspector Wayne Rothwell said. “Troy was without his medication for a long period, which left him disorientated and confused so we believe he turned off the highway at some point and became lost in the bush”
He continued, “It was a challenging search due to the huge area that Troy had been spotted travelling around so it was extremely difficult to narrow down where to concentrate our efforts. Once Troy lit the fire, it drew the attention of our fire crews who quickly responded and located him.”