I didn’t think I’d make it: Tramper
Stranded tourist tells how he prayed rescuers would find him
IT was the 30 hours from hell, but yesterday Robert Galdamez and his mother Pany were counting their blessings. Mr Galdamez, from Melbourne, was plucked from near the summit of Ben Lomond at 12.20am yesterday, having been missing on the mountain since about 6pm on Tuesday.
He was able to walk from the rescue helicopter to a waiting ambulance at Frankton, and make his own way from the ambulance into Lakes District Hospital, suffering moderate hypothermia. Yesterday the 22-year-old was hungry, exhausted and sore, with cuts all over his body, but grateful to have lived to tell his story.
Describing his near-death experience as “hectic”, Galdamez said he had walked to the summit of Ben Lomond — almost 1750m above sea level — and while descending he “kind of lost track of where I was”.
“I went in a completely different, opposite direction . . . to the direction I was supposed to be going, so, it wasn’t the track route that was designated for hikers and whatnot to go through.
“It was more just mountain and grass, trees everywhere . . . so there wasn’t really anything to go by.”
Galdamez said he began working his way down the mountain by “sliding on the rocks”, resulting in cuts all over his body.
As the reality of his situation began to sink in, Galdamez said he became increasingly worried.
“It was beginning to get cold, it was raining, I didn’t know what was going to happen [and] I didn’t know how long it was going to take before everybody found me.
“It was very stressful, that’s for sure. I was very scared.”
While his puffer jacket provided some protection from the elements it “wasn’t enough”, particularly as snow began falling on Wednesday evening.
“I did everything I could to stay hydrated — I was drinking water from a waterfall, putting snow in my mouth just to kind of keep me hydrated.
“I knew if I didn’t have any kind of water then it probably would have turned out worse.”
Galdamez said he found a large rock under which he huddled “both nights”, before 4.30pm. He was in an agitated state. Witnesses, relatives and neighbours heard shots fired before watching the squad members storm the garage. Te Moananui was given CPR before St John Ambulance staff took him away on a stretcher. He died soon after in Thames Hospital. “The two AOS officers were justified in shooting Mr Te Moananui,” authority chair, Judge Sir David Carruthers said. “At the time the officers fired, Mr Te Moananui was pointing his rifle at them and they feared for their lives. The death of Mr Te Moananui was a tragedy but . . . unavoidable in the circumstances.” The AOS was cordoning off the sister’s address when Te Moananui confronted them with a firearm. That left police with no other tactical options, the IPCA found. breathing slowly and trying to keep warm.
“[I was] just praying that they would find me as soon as they can.
“Once it was snowing I began to get very worried, I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it.”
It was then, however, he heard his rescuers calling his name and knew it was “only a matter of time” before he was found.
He soon saw two members of the search team “up on the summit”, which was when he realised how close to them he was and summoned the strength to climb to them.
“They were calling out my name and I had to work my way up to back from the bottom and that in itself was a big pain.
“When I saw [them] there’s no way to describe it, I literally . . . started crying. I couldn’t thank them enough.
“Honestly, if it wasn’t for them, then I probably wouldn’t be here . . . thank God for the rescue team.”
Pany Galdamez, who booked a ticket to Queenstown from Melbourne on Wednesday, fearing the worst, was also extremely grateful to all of those involved in the search.
Unable to eat or sleep for two days, Galdamez said she was flooded with relief when she received a phone call from police early yesterday letting her know she would soon be reunited with her son.
“Thank you. I am really happy . . . really grateful. Thank you [to everyone involved]; thank you so much.”
It was very stressful, that’s for sure. I was very scared. Robert Galdamez