Missing hiker found alive on Queensland's Fraser Island
A 73-year-old hiker who spent three nights in the wilderness on Queensland’s Fraser Island has been found safe and well.
Madeleine Nowak was reported missing on Thursday after she became separated from a tour group on the island’s Great Walk.
A land, air and sea search and rescue began on Thursday evening and continued throughout Friday and Saturday.
Police confirmed she was found shortly before 8am on Sunday.
Nowak, who is an experienced bushwalker, wandered through the wilderness for up to 7km before being found.
After spending three nights sleeping rough in hot conditions, she walked out from the scrub on to Eastern Beach and approached campers who alerted police.
Nowak, who has previous trail walking experience, was then reunited with her husband.
“It was extremely emotional,” acting Insp Brooke Flood said.
“Everybody involved in the search effort was just so relieved. It’s been a really, really long three days.”
Nowak is expected to be released from Hervey Bay hospital after undergoing precautionary checks.
LifeFlight’s Brent Morgan said Nowak had left the trail after coming across a fallen tree on the track. She decided to go around it before becoming disoriented.
“The last few days she’s been heading east,” Morgan said.
Nowak knew air crews were looking for her but was not able to wave them down in difficult terrain.
“The bushland’s very dense and very thick,” Flood said. “[She] actually said she heard choppers overhead but because of the canopy she just couldn’t get their attention.”
Nowak is believed to have walked 6 to 7km from where she was last seen.
Police have reminded adventurers to stay put if they become lost or disoriented.
“If you stay as near as possible to where you have gone missing, the chances of you being located during a search dramatically increase,” Flood said.